; but it belongs to Pietro Vassalletto and his son.
In demolishing one of the clumsy buttresses, which were built two
centuries ago against the colonnade of the south side, count
Vespignani discovered (1887) the authentic signatures of both
artists, in the inscription which is here reproduced. It is thus
translated: "I, Vassalectus, a noble and skilful master in my
profession, have finished alone this work which I began in company
with my father."[114] Their school lasted for four generations, from
1153 to the middle of the following century, and ranks next in
importance to that of the Cosmatis. Many of their productions are
signed, as for example the episcopal chair in the church of S. Andrea
at Anagni, dated 1263; a screen in the cathedral of Segni, dated 1185;
the candelabra in S. Paolo fuori le Mura; the lion in the porch of SS.
Apostoli; the canopy in SS. Cosma e Damiano, dated 1153; fragments of
an inlaid screen in the studio of the illustrious artist, Senor
Villegas, etc. We are in the habit of asserting that only the
Renaissance masters studied and were inspired by the antique; but the
fascination of ancient art was equally felt by their early precursors
of the twelfth century. The archway in the middle of the south side of
these cloisters (opposite the one represented in our illustration)
rests on sphinxes, one of which is bearded. The human-headed
monsters, wearing the _claft_ or _nemes_, images of Egyptian Pharaohs,
were obviously modelled in imitation of ancient originals. Nor is this
the only case. The gate of S. Antonio on the Esquiline is also
supported by crouching sphinxes (A. D. 1269). It has been suggested
that such works were inspired by crusaders who had seen the wonders of
Egypt. But if the reader remembers what I said about the Temple of
Isis in the Campus Martius, in chapter ii., p. 92, he will at once
perceive how the Vassalletti were able to draw their Egyptian models
from a much nearer source. A fact mentioned by Winckelmann[115] proves
that one of them owned and studied a statue of AEsculapius, in the
plinth of which he actually engraved his own name, [V]ASSALECTVS. The
statue was seen by Winckelmann in the Verospi palace, but I have not
been able to ascertain its present location. In these same cloisters
are some delightful figures of saints, in high relief, from an old
ciborium. One of them, representing S. John the Baptist, is obviously
modelled on the type of an Antinous, with the same abu