ce."(125)

After Michael Angelo had been dismissed from the work of the facade of San
Lorenzo he appears to have remained quietly at Florence, possibly engaged
upon the marbles for the Tomb of Julius II. About the same time, at the
instigation of the Cardinal de' Medici, he began to design the new
sacristy and the tombs at San Lorenzo.

[Image #50]

THE PROPHET JONAH

SISTINE CHAPEL, ROME
(_By permission of the Fratelli Alinari, Florence_)

In the Ricordi, which run from April 9 to August 19, 1521, he says that on
April 9 he received two hundred ducats from the Cardinal de' Medici to go
to Carrara and lodge there, to quarry marbles for the tombs which are to
be placed in the new sacristy at San Lorenzo. "And there I stayed about
twenty days and made out drawings to scale, and measured models in clay
for the said tombs." On August 16 the contractors for the blocks, all of
which were excavated from the old Roman quarry of Polvaccio, came to
Florence, and were paid on account.

The statue of the "Risen Christ" was forwarded to Rome during the summer.
The smaller detached, or more easily broken portions, were left in the
rough to prevent accidents during the journey, and Pietro Urbino went to
Rome with orders to complete the work there. Sebastiano del Piombo, like
the good friend he was, kept Michael Angelo informed of the progress of
the young scamp of a pupil, from whom his master had extracted a promise
that he would avoid the company of dissolute Florentines in Rome more than
he had previously done. On November 9, 1520, Sebastiano writes that his
gossip, Giovanni da Reggio, "goes about saying that you have not done the
figure yourself, but that it is the work of Pietro Urbino. Be sure that it
may be seen to be from your hand, so that poltroons and babblers may
burst." This was written whilst the work was still at Florence. On
September 6, 1531, after it had arrived at Rome, Sebastiano says of
Pietro: "Firstly, you sent him to Rome with the statue, to finish and
erect it. What he did and did not do you know; but I must let you
understand that wherever he has worked he has maimed it. Chiefly, he has
shortened the right foot, and it is plainly seen that he has cut off the
toes. He has shortened the fingers of the hands, too, more especially
those of the one which holds the cross, the right; Frizzi says, it seems
to hav