File:Antonio Pollaiuolo (1907) (14742036326).jpg

Identifier: antoniopollaiuol00crut (find matches)
Title: Antonio Pollaiuolo
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Cruttwell, Maud
Subjects: Pollaiolo, Antonio, 1426?-1498 Pollaiolo, Piero, ca. 1443-1496
Publisher: London : Duckworth and Co. New York : C. Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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ney spent on these uniqueembroideries. No less than eleven Master-Craftsmenfrom different countries were occupied for fourteenyears in the work, the total cost of which was 3179florins, 7646 lire, 10 soldi, 8 denari. The commissionwas given by the Arte della Mercatanzia, whose stemma—the eagle on the woolsack—occurs constantly in thedesigns. A series of entries in the Account Books ofthe Guild tell the dates of execution and the names ofthe embroiderers. (Doc. XII. p. 261.) They were begun in 1466, the first entry recordingthe deliberation being dated Aug. 5 of that year. It isprobable that Antonio received the commission for hisdesigns even earlier, since, as this entry records thechoice of the embroiderers, some of the designs musthave been already prepared. Four Master-workers arementioned, one of whom was a Venetian, one fromAntwerp, one from Navarre. In a later deliberation ofDec. I. two others were chosen, a Florentine and amaster from Perpignan. The name of Paolo da Verona,
Text Appearing After Image:
oo D I—1< o cu O I—I o h ^ DESIGNS FOR EMBROIDERIES 103 the celebrated embroiderer mentioned by Vasari, doesnot appear in the documents till 1470.* Antonios name is not mentioned until 1469 in whichyear he received payment of ninety florins for hisdesigns. In 1480 he received another ninety, andby July of the same year the embroideries musthave been completed, for the vestments they were toadorn were ordered. These were of pure white,and of so rich a material that it cost twenty florinsthe braccia. Cavalcaselle considers the execution of the designs, aswell as the colouring, to have been by Piero, fromsketches furnished by Antonio, and it is possible that toPiero are due the inferior compositions, although hisname is nowhere mentioned in the documents. Some ofthem show a feebleness in drawing for which certainlyAntonio is not responsible, and which contrasts sharplywith those evidently by his own hand, which are asenergetic and as technically perfect as any of his best

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