In fact, Andrea's works were ready by the date of the
annual festa of the Servites, and the monks, being anxious to uncover
all the new frescoes for that day, took upon them to remove the
mattings from that of Francia Bigio as well, without his permission,
for he wished to give a few more finishing touches. So angry was he, on
arriving in the cloister, to see a crowd of people admiring his work in
what he felt to be an imperfect condition, that in an excess of rage he
mounted on the scaffolding which still remained, and, seizing a hammer,
beat the head of the Madonna to pieces, and ruined the nude figure
breaking the rod. The monks hastened to the scene in an uproar of
remonstrance, the frantic artist's destructive hand was stayed by the
bystanders, but so deep was his displeasure that he refused to restore
the picture, and no other hand having touched it, the fresco remains to
this day a fine work mutilated. It shows him artistically in his very
best, and morally, at his worst, phase. In 1518, while Andrea was in
France, the monks of the Scalzo employed Francia Bigio to fill two
compartments in their pretty little cloister, where Andrea had
commenced his _Life of S.
Pages:
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118