very highly praised, and rightly,
because, although the Orpheus of Baccio is not in the attitude of the
Apollo Belvedere, nevertheless it reproduces very successfully the
manner of the torso and of all the members. The statue, when finished,
was carried by order of Cardinal Giulio, while he was governing
Florence, into the above-mentioned court, and placed on a carved base
executed by the sculptor Benedetto da Rovezzano. But since Baccio
never paid any attention to the art of architecture, he took no heed
of the genius of Donatello, who had made for the David that was there
before a simple column on which rested a cleft base in open-work, to
the end that one entering from without might see from the street-door
the inner door, that of the other court, opposite to him; and, not
having such foresight, he caused his statue to be placed on a broad
and wholly solid base, of such a kind that it blocks the view of him
who enters and covers the opening of the inner door, so that in
passing through the first door one does not see whether the palace
extends farther inwards or finishes in the first court.

Cardinal Giulio had caused a most beautiful villa to be erected below
Monte Mario at Rome, and wished to set up two giants in this villa;
and he had them executed in stucco by Baccio, who was always delighted
to make giants. These figures, eight braccia in height, stand one on
either side of the gate that leads into the wood, and they were held
to be reasonably beautiful. While Baccio was engaged on these works,
never abandoning his practice of drawing, he caused Marco da Ravenna
and Agostino Viniziano, the engravers of prints, to engrave a scene
drawn by him on a very large sheet, in which was the Slaughter of the
Innocents, so cruelly done to death by Herod. This scene, which was
filled by him with a quantity of nudes, both male and female, children
living and dead, and women and soldiers in various attitudes, made
known the fine draughtsmanship that he showed in figures and his
knowledge of muscles and of all the members, and it won him great
fame over all Europe. He also made a most beautiful model of wood,
with the figures in wax, of a tomb for the King of England, which in
the end was not carried out by Baccio, but was given to the sculptor
Benedetto da Rovezzano, who executed it in metal.

[Illustration: THE MARTYRDOM OF S. LORENZO

(_After the painting by =Baccio Bandinelli=. Hereford: W. J. Davies'
Collection_)

_M.