Page 53 - TMS Art Collection

va lavorando a un cartone con la Sant’Anna la Madonna Madonna and the Child and secondly gave her the news
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e il Bambino e nella seconda dava notizia del fatto che that Leonardo was engaged in the painting of a small Ma-
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Leonardo era impegnato nella realizzazione di una picco- donna of the Yarnwinder for Florimond Robertet. It is worth
la Madonna dei fusi per Florimond Robertet. Merita ripor- showing the second letter in its entirety:
tare la seconda lettera nella sua integrità:
Our most illustrious, excellent and singular Lady. This Holy
Ill[ustrissi]ma et Ex[cellentissi]ma D[omina], d[omi]na N[ost] Week I heard the intention of Leonardo the painter through
ra Sing[ularissima] his pupil Salai and some others of his intimate circle who, in
Questa septimana s[an]ta ho intenso la intentione de Leo- order to make it more evident to me, escorted him to me this
nardo pictore per mezo de Salai suo discipulo et de alcuni Holy Wednesday . In short, his mathematical experiments
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altri suoi affectionati, li quali per farmila più nota me lo me- have distracted him so much from painting that he cannot
norno el merchordì s[an]to . Insu[m]ma li suoi experimenti bear the sight of a brush . And yet I tried my best to make
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Mathematici l’hano distracto tanto dal dipingere, che non him understand Your Excellency’s position, first as if I were
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può patire il pe[n]nello . Pur me asegurai di farli intende- talking to myself, and then in a more direct way upon seeing
re cu[m] destreza el parere di V[ostra] Ex[cellentia], prima that he was well disposed to please Your Excellency, and this
como da me, poi, vedendolo molto diposto al volere grati- because of the kindness with which he was received by Your
ficare V[ostra] Ex[cellentia] per la humanità gli monstroe a Excellency in Mantua . The conclusion was that if he could
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Mantua, e se resolti gli disse el tutto liberame[n]te. Rimase free himself from his obligation to His Majesty the King of
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in questa conclusione: se si potea spiccare da la maestà del Re France without disgrace, as he hopes to do within a month
de Franza senza sua disgrazia, como sperava a la più longa fra at the most, he would be ever so ready to serve Your Excel-
meso uno, che servirebbe più p[re]sto V[ostra] Ex[cellentia] lency more than anyone else in the world. But in any case, as
che persona del mondo. Ma che ad ogni modo, fornito ch’e- soon as he has completed a small painting he is doing for one
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gli havesse un quadretino che fa a uno Roberteto favorito Robertet, a favourite of the King of France , he would do
del Re de Franza , farebbe subito el retrato e lo mandereb- your portrait at once and have it delivered to Your Excellency.
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be a V[ostra] Ex[cellentia]. Gli lasso dui boni sollicitadori. El I have left him with two good solicitors. The small painting
quadretino che fa è una Madona che sede como se volesse he is doing is a Madonna who sits as one who wants to spin
inaspare fusi, el Bambino posto el piede nel canestrino dei spindles for the yarnwinder, and the child, having placed a
fusi, e ha preso l’aspo e mira atentame[n]te que’ quattro raggi foot in the basket of spindles, has grasped the yarnwinder and
che sono in forma di Croce. E come desideroso dessa Croce looks attentively at those four spokes of it which form a cross,
ride et tienla salda, no[n] la volendo cedere a la Mama che and as if yearning after such a cross, he is laughing and holds it
pare gela volia torre. Questo è quanto ho potuto fare cu[m] firm, determined not to yield it to his mother, who seems to
lui. Heri fornì la p[re]dica mia, Dio voglia faza tanto fruc- want t to take it away from him. This is what I could do with
to q[uan]to è stata copiosame[n]te udita. Son certificato de him. Yesterday I delivered my sermon, and may God be will-
qua[n]to altre volte disse del fre a V[ostra] Ex[cellentia] a la ing that it bears as much fruit as it was plentifully listened to.
quale me recoma[n]do I confirm what I said already of the Friar to Your Excellency,
Florentie die 14 Ap[ri]lis 1501 to whom I recommend myself.
Ex. V[ostra] Ex[cellentia] Florence, April 14 1501
servuus Fr[ater] Petrus de Of Your Excellency,
Nuvolaria Car.ne . Servant Fra Pietro da
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Novellara, General Vicar
È questo l’unico documento noto sulla Madonna dei fusi . of the Carmelites .
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Un documento di straordinaria importanza poiché oltre a
fornire una descrizione, anche ricca di dettagli, del dipinto This is the only known document on the Madonna of the
indica chiaramente il nome del committente e il fatto che Yarnwinder . A document of extraordinary importance be-
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Madonna dei Fusi_s.indd 50 18/07/14 22:22