his name being usually associated with that of Bartholomew Penni, another Florentine. The Italian frescoes in one of the rooms of Cardinal Wolsey's apartment at Hampton Court are almost certainly the work of either Penni or Toto. The latter, who was naturalized an Englishman, remained long in the service of Henry the Eighth, and, according to Vasari, executed many works for the king. It is remarkable that most of the Italian artists were in some way connected with Wolsey, whose orders were usually given in the name of the king and who, amid the duties of state, found time for the encouragement of art and learning. Torrigiano's real successors in England were Benedetto da Rovezzano and Giovanni da Majano. The former was engaged by Wolsey through Cromwell, to prepare his tomb. It was to be on a magnificent scale, worthy of the tastes of a cardinal who was such a lover of art, and far to surpass in splendor that of Henry the Seventh. The sculptor labored over it for five years. But when Wolsey died in disgrace and was buried in the Abbey Church at Leicester, the king tried to make use of as much of the tomb as he could, although according to Vasari, Baccio Bandinelli had prepared a beautiful model in wood, with wax figures, which was intended for him. Rovezzano, however, was left in charge of the royal monument, and cast it in metal. Among the founders he employed were several other Italians, Pietro Baldi, Giovanni Utrin, and two "engineers," Rinieri and Ambrogio. The monument, which Wolsey 1 Vide Arch. Journal, September, 1894, pp. 1, 59, 203 et seq. 1 had begun was left unfinished at the king's death, in the Lady Chapel of Henry the Seventh at Windsor, and was never completed. Its subsequent history is not without interest. Charles the First, another lover of art, wished to be buried in it, but after his execution Parliament ordered the sale of all the bronze work on the monument. In the beginning of the last century, the marble sarcophagus was removed from Windsor to be used for Nelson's tomb, in the crypt of St. Pauls, and a little later the pavement it had rested on was taken up to build the royal vault for George the Third.1 The materials for the history of the Florentine sculptors in England during this period, are not very plentiful. When all but the greatest artists were considered craftsmen, it is scarcely to be wondered that not much attention was given to the lives of the others. It can be said, however, that there was nothing unusual in the presence of Italian artists in England; the Bernardis for instance, settled at Chichester in 1519, at the invitation of Bishop Sherburne, and were probably the earliest decorative painters in England.3 Only very little is really known of the English residence 1 Blomfield, Renaissance Architecture, I, 13 et seq. 2 Letters of Torrigiano, Rovezzano and Majano to Wolsey, the records of payments and inventories showing the work executed on Wolsey's tomb, and the accounts and records of the work done on Henry the Eighth's tomb from 1530 to 1536 are cited by Mr. Higgins, in his valuable article in the Arch. Journal, September, 1894. 8 Digby Wyatt, Foreign Artists in England, p. 227. of the sculptor Nicholas of Modena, who executed the royal effigy at the funeral of Henry the Eighth; likewise of John of Padua, who was both a musician and the "Devizor of his Majesty's buildings," entering afterward the service of the Protector Somerset, whose palace on the Strand he very likely built;1 or of Jerome of Treviso, an imitator of Raphael, who was architect, military engineer (magister tormentorum) and a favorite of Henry the Eighth. Their very names prove, however, that the great art of Italy had crossed the Alps to find new homes in distant lands. The work of another Tuscan sculptor, Giovanni da Majano, who assisted Rovezzano in the decoration of Hampton Court, can be seen there in the well-known terra-cotta roundels of Roman emperors. The talents of the Italian artists were especially required in decoration, where their influence in England was then chiefly felt. In all matters of detail, ornamentation of surfaces, delicate arabesques, plaster modelling, terra-cotta medallions, and carving of every kind, they excelled. The German traveller, Braun, who was almost a contemporary, spoke of the numerous Italian artificers, sculptors, and architects in the service of Henry the Eighth. The royal palace of Nonesuch, 1 Digby Wyatt, op. cit., p. 234. 2 A picture by him representing the Madonna and the Child with saints and angels is in the National Gallery, London. 8 Often called John de Menns, or Demyans; Rovezzano's name was similarly anglicized into Rovesham or Rovesanne. For the terra-cotta busts he received the sum of £2 6s. 8d. and for three "histories of Hercules," £4 apiece. had begun was left unfinished at the king's death, in the Lady Chapel of Henry the Seventh at Windsor, and was never completed. Its subsequent history is not without interest. Charles the First, another lover of art, wished to be buried in it, but after his execution Parliament ordered the sale of all the bronze work on the monument. In the beginning of the last century, the marble sarcophagus was removed from Windsor to be used for Nelson's tomb, in the crypt of St. Pauls, and a little later the pavement it had rested on was taken up to build the royal vault for George the Third.1 The materials for the history of the Florentine sculptors in England during this period, are not very plentiful. When all but the greatest artists were considered craftsmen, it is scarcely to be wondered that not much attention was given to the lives of the others. It can be said, however, that there was nothing unusual in the presence of Italian artists in England; the Bernardis for instance, settled at Chichester in 1519, at the invitation of Bishop Sherburne, and were probably the earliest decorative painters in England.3 Only very little is really known of the English residence 1 Blomfield, Renaissance Architecture, I, 13 et seq. 2 Letters of Torrigiano, Rovezzano and Majano to Wolsey, the records of payments and inventories showing the work executed on Wolsey's tomb, and the accounts and records of the work done on Henry the Eighth's tomb from 1530 to 1536 are cited by Mr. Higgins, in his valuable article in the Arch. Journal, September, 1894. 3 Digby Wyatt, Foreign Artists in England, p. 227. 1 of the sculptor Nicholas of Modena, who executed the royal effigy at the funeral of Henry the Eighth; likewise of John of Padua, who was both a musician and the “Devizor of his Majesty's buildings," entering afterward the service of the Protector Somerset, whose palace on the Strand he very Ekely built; or of Jerome of Treviso, an imitator of Raphael, who was architect, military engineer (magister tormentorum) and a favorite of Henry the Eighth. Their very names prove, however, that the great art of Italy had crossed the Alps to find new homes in distant lands. The work of another Tuscan sculptor, Giovanni da Majano,3 who assisted Rovezzano in the decoration of Hampton Court, can be seen there in the well-known terra-cotta roundels of Roman emperors. The talents of the Italian artists were especially required in decoration, where their influence in England was then chiefly felt. In all matters of detail, ornamentation of surfaces, delicate arabesques, plaster modelling, terra-cotta medallions, and carving of every kind, they excelled. The German traveller, Braun, who was almost a contemporary, spoke of the numerous Italian artificers, sculptors, and architects in the service of Henry the Eighth. The royal palace of Nonesuch, 1 Digby Wyatt, op. cit., p. 234. 2 A picture by him representing the Madonna and the Child with saints and angels is in the National Gallery, London. 3 Often called John de Menns, or Demyans; Rovezzano's name was similarly anglicized into Rovesham or Rovesanne. 4 For the terra-cotta busts he received the sum of £2 6s. 8d. and for three "histories of Hercules," £4 apiece. |