Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Gold авd Silver

9

Cellini repoгts \vit.h pride that Michelangelo said to him: " If tliis wOl'k ,vеге шаdе iв great, whetl1eг in mai·Ыe or in broвze, and fashioned ,vith as cxquisite а design as this, it ,vould astonish the ,vorld; and even in its present size it seeшs to ше so beautiful that I do not tl1iнk eYen а goldsmith of the ancient ,,ю1·IJ fashionefl aught to саше up to it!" Cellini says that these ,vo1·ds " stiffened hiш нр, " апd gave him nшch iнcreased aшbition. Не describes also an Atlas which he coпstructed of w1·ought gold, to Ье placed upon а lapis lazuli background: tlis he made in extreme relief, using tiny tools, 11 '\'Orking right into tl1e arшs and legs, and шaking all alike of equal thickпess." А cope-button fог Роре Сlешенt was also quite а tour de force; as he said, " these pieces of work are often Ьarder tl1e smalle1· they are." The design showed tl1e Almighty seate<.1 on а gгeat diamond; around him the1·e ,vere " а nшnber of jolly little aвgels," sоше in complete relief. Не describes l10w he began with а flat shcet of gold, and worked constantly and conscientiously, gradually bossing it up, until, with one tool and theп anotl1er, he finally mastered the material, " till one fine day God the Father stood forth in tl1e round, most сошеlу to bel10ld." So skilful was Cellini in trns агt that hc " bossed up in high relief witl1 his punches some fifteeп little angels, without even liaving to solder the tiniest rent!" The fastening of the clasp was decorated ,vith " little snails and шasks and other pleasing trifles," wl1ich suggest to us that