Italian sculptor Cellini Benvenuto: biography, creativity and interesting facts. The Life of Benvenuto Cellini, Written by Himself Dissolute Life and Prison

Benvenuto Cellini (Italian: Benvenuto Cellini; November 3, 1500 (15001103), Florence - February 13, 1571, Florence) - Italian sculptor, jeweler, painter, warrior and musician of the Renaissance.

Cellini was born on November 3, 1500 in Florence, the son of a landowner and craftsman. musical instruments Giovanni Cellini (son of a mason) and Maria Lisabetta Grinacci. Benvenuto was the second child in the family, born in the nineteenth year of his parents’ marriage.

Despite the wishes of his father, who wanted his son to become a musician, Benvenuto in 1513 became an apprentice in the workshop of the jeweler Brandini, where he learned the techniques of artistic metal processing. From these years he began to participate in many fights, especially with other jewelers, which is why he was expelled from his hometown in 1516 and 1523. After wandering around Italy, he settled in Rome in 1524, where he became close to the top of the Vatican.

In 1527 he took part in the defense of Rome from imperial troops. After the defeat of the Romans he left the city. In 1529 he returned to Rome and received the post of head of the papal mint, which he held until 1534. All of his jewelry from that era (with the exception of a few medals) did not survive - they were later melted down.

Avenging his brother, in 1531-1534 Cellini killed a jeweler, then attacked a notary, after which he fled to Naples, where he again took the life of another jeweler for speaking ill of Cellini at the papal court.

In 1537 he was accepted into the French service by King Francis I, receiving his portrait medal. Once again in Rome, Cellini was arrested and accused of stealing papal jewelry, but he was able to escape again. The master did not remain free for long: he was again taken into custody and, however, was later released.

From 1540 he lived at the French royal court in Fontainebleau, where he completed work on the only piece of jewelry that has come down to us, the authenticity of which is beyond doubt - the large salt shaker of Francis I (1540-1543).

In France, the master mastered the technique of bronze casting and from that time began to carry out large sculptural orders. From 1545 to 1553, Cellini was in the service of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in Florence, where he created the famous statue of Perseus holding the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Here he executed a number of other sculptures and restored ancient works. Cellini’s active participation in the local academic movement deserves special attention. From 1545 to 1547, he became involved in the activities of the newly founded Florentine Academy, the intellectual life of which was reflected both in his lyrics and in his autobiography and treatises (Cellini called the academy a “wonderful school”).

In 1556, Cellini was again imprisoned for a fight with a goldsmith. His last significant monumental work was The Crucifixion. Under house arrest, the master began writing an autobiography, which became the pearl of his work.

The sculptor died on February 13, 1571 in his native Florence. He was buried with great honors in the Church of the Annunciation.

The book “The Life of Benvenuto, son of Maestro Giovanni Cellini, Florentine, written by himself in Florence” is one of the most remarkable works of literature of the 16th century. Benvenuto Cellini began writing his autobiography in 1558. Paolo Rossi demonstrates that the final version of the manuscript (bella copia), presumably intended for distribution among the sculptor's friends and colleagues and written by the hand of a 14-year-old boy, Cellini's secretary, differed significantly from the draft, which contained extensive edits. When creating the latter, the author most likely used various diary entries, which at that time were kept not only by people of art, but also, for example, by merchants. The chronicle of the events of Life reaches 1562. In the 18th century, after various adventures, the manuscript disappeared. In 1805, it was found in one of the bookstores in Florence and transferred to the Laurentian Library, where it remains to this day. The first printed edition appeared in Naples in 1728.

This is part of a Wikipedia article used under the CC-BY-SA license. Full text of the article here →

Benvenuto Cellini is a renowned Mannerist sculptor of his time, jeweler, musician and writer. He described his work in his famous autobiography. He is now considered by art historians to be one of the iconic sculptors of the Renaissance, and the statue of Perseus with the Head of Medusa has taken its rightful place among the great masterpieces of 16th-century Florentine art. Cellini also wrote a number of technical books on the subject visual arts and sculptures.

The master’s work can be divided into three main periods:

1500–1540 - work as a jeweler;
1540–1545 - work under the patronage of King Francis I, in Fontainebleau;
The master devotes the rest of his life to creating large-scale sculptures.

Benvenuto was the second child in the family of master Giovanni Cellini, who created various musical instruments. At a young age, contrary to his father's hopes, he took up jewelry making. After a series of moves, at the age of 19, the young master, already attracting attention with his abilities, ends up in Rome.

Rome

Little is known about Cellini's early career in Rome. He practiced his craft in various workshops. It is known that Cellini created a number of valuable works during that period, including a silver casket, decorative candlesticks, vase for the Bishop of Salamanca. The latter work attracts the attention of Pope Clement VII. From 1529 to 1537, Benvenuto becomes involved in a number of incidents and fights, but papal intervention helps him avoid punishment. Unfortunately, none of Cellini's works from that time have survived to this day. At the same time, Cellini creates a number of medallions, among which the following are worth noting: “Leda and the Swan”, “Hercules and the Lion”, various stamps and papal coinage.

Leda and the Swan

France

At the end of the 1530s, Cellini moved to France, where he worked at the court of Francis I in Paris. It was there that the master created his famous Salier salt cellar (1540–1543, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna), made of gold, decorated with enamel and ebony. The complex character and explosive temperament of the artist again become the reason for his numerous enemies, and a few years later he is forced to leave France and go to Florence.

Bust of Cosimo I

The statue of Perseus marked the zenith of Cellini's career as an artist. Three years later, in 1557, the master was sentenced to four years in prison for affray. In prison, Benvenuto writes books and continues to work on his autobiography. At the age of 70, the unmarried master, who, however, had many children, died and was buried with honors in Florence.

Benvenuto Cellini. Life and art. updated: September 16, 2017 by: Gleb

BENVENUTO CELLINI (1500-1571) - Italian artist, the largest
sculptor and jeweler of the Mannerist period, entertaining writer. Born November 3
1500 in Florence in the family of a carpenter. Studied with jeweler Bandinelli and was influenced by
Michelangelo; worked in Florence, Pisa, Bologna, Venice, Rome, in 1540-1545 –
in Paris and Fontainebleau at the court of King Francis I. Master of Mannerism, Cellini
created masterly sculptural and jewelry works, marked by refined
decorativism, ornamentation of complex compositional motifs, contrasting
juxtaposition of exquisite materials.

Saltcellar of Francis I "Neptune and
Juno", 1540-1544, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

To Father Benvenuto Cellini
I wanted my son to become a musician, but he entered a jeweler’s workshop in 1513
M. de Brandini, where he mastered the technique of artistic metal processing. Behind
participation in fierce street “showdowns”, including with competitors in
profession, Cellini was expelled from his hometown twice (in 1516 and 1523). By changing
several residences (Siena, Pisa, Bologna and others), established in 1524
in Rome, connections with high church circles. Having become one of the defenders of the “eternal
city”, trying to repel its capture by imperial troops (1527), Benvenuto
Cellini was forced to temporarily leave Rome. Returning there, he occupied (in 1529-34)
position of head of the papal mint. Almost all early works
Cellini's masters (with the exception of a few medals) have not survived, since
were later melted down.

"Perseus", 1545-1554, Loggia
dei Lanzi, Florence
The artist's life continued to be extremely stormy.
Around 1534, Cellini killed a fellow jeweler (to avenge his brother's death), then
attacked a notary, and later, already in Naples, killed another jeweler for
he dared to speak ill of Cellini at the papal court. In 1537 it was adopted
French King Francis I and executed his portrait medal. In Rome
Benvenuto Cellini was arrested, accused of stealing papal jewels, but he
escaped, was again imprisoned and finally released (1538-1539).

"Pietro
Bembo, Cardinal"
Then Benvenuto Cellini lived under the French royal
courtyard in Fontainebleau (1540-1545). Having mastered the technique of large-scale bronze painting in France
casting, Cellini from that time on increasingly carried out large sculptural orders
(“Nymph of Fontainebleau”, 1543-1544 and others). In these works it is impressively clear
a characteristic property of the plastic mannerism of mannerism as a whole appeared: jewelry
art, increasingly luxurious, refined and innovative, became noticeable
to get ahead of monumental sculpture, dictating to it such properties as special
careful finishing, “ornamental” beauty of the silhouette and whimsical
a variety of angles designed for leisurely looking and admiring.

"Crucifixion", marble
In 1556
Cellini was again jailed for fighting (a victim of his aggressive
character again became a jeweler), and in 1557 he was accused of homosexuality and
was placed under house arrest for four years. His last significant
“The Crucifixion” (1555-1562) was a monumental work, performed according to
a vow made back in a Roman prison in the 1530s, for his own tombstone,
Cellini sought to prove in this piece his ability to work in
marble.
While under house arrest, Benvenuto Cellini began to write
autobiography (1558-1567). Written in a lively colloquial dialect, it
is a real adventure novel and belongs to the best examples
literature of the Renaissance (long circulated in handwritten copies, “Life
Cellini” was published only in 1728). He also wrote “Treatise on
Jewelry" and "Treatise on Sculpture", begun in 1565 and published in 1568.
Benvenuto Cellini died on February 13, 1571 in Florence.

"Francis I, King of France"
,1537

"Medallion with Leda and the Swan"
,1520,gold, diameter 3.8 cm,Museo Nazionale del Bargello,
Florence

"Apollo and Hyacinth", 1540
,marble, height 191 cm, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

"Narcissus", 1540, marble,
height 149 cm, National Museum del Bargello, Florence

"Ganymede", 1540, marble,
height 106 cm, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

"Morion for the Medici", 1570
,chasing, silver plated iron, height 37 cm, Dresden

"Shield for the Medici"
,1570,chasing, silver plated iron, height 76 cm, Dresden

"Shield", 1572, gilded
iron, 68 x 49 cm, Louvre, Paris

"Helmet", 1570, covered
gold and enamel, 68 x 49 cm, Louvre, Paris

1570, silver, London

"Bust of Cosimo I", 1546-47
,bronze, height 110 cm, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

"Bust of Bindo Altoviti", 1549
,bronze, height 105 cm, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston

"Saluki Greyhound", bronze,
18 x 28 cm, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

"Ganymede", 1548, Bronze,
height 60 cm, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

"Mercury", 1547, Bronze,
height 96 cm, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

"Jupiter", 1549, Bronze,
height 98 cm, National Museum del Bargello, Florence

"Minerva", 1549, Bronze,
height 89 cm, National Museum del Bargello, Florence

"Danae and her son Perseus"
,1549,Bronze, height 84 cm, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence

"Fear", Bronze, height 32 cm

"Satire"
,drawing, National Gallery of Art, Washington

"Apollo", 1560, drawing,
private collection

"Fountain of Diana Anet", Louvre

Http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/credime/post209331468/

The mirror by Benvenuto Cellini was made in the 16th century.

It was made by a great sculptor, alchemist and magician for the most beautiful woman of the Renaissance.

(15001103 ) , Florence - February 13, Florence) - Italian sculptor, jeweler, painter, warrior and musician of the Renaissance.

Biography

Cellini was born on November 3, 1500 in Florence, the son of landowner and musical instrument maker Giovanni Cellini (the son of a mason) and Maria Lisabetta Grinacci. Benvenuto was the second child in the family, born in the nineteenth year of his parents’ marriage.

Creation

The book “The Life of Benvenuto, son of Maestro Giovanni Cellini, Florentine, written by himself in Florence” is one of the most remarkable works of literature of the 16th century. Benvenuto Cellini began writing his autobiography in 1558, but most of the manuscript was written in the hand of a 14-year-old boy, Cellini's secretary, and a few more pages in another hand. The chronicle reaches 1562. In the 18th century, after various adventures, the manuscript disappeared. In 1805, it was found in one of the bookstores in Florence and transferred to the Laurentian Library, where it remains to this day. The first printed edition appeared in Naples in 1728.

The life of Benvenuto Cellini is written in a literary manner that can be called popular, and this differs from such works as the Confessions of St. Augustine or the Confessions of Rousseau. On the pages of his book, Benvenuto Cellini did not express any new ideas; he described his adventures, thoughts and feelings with a frankness not typical of the autobiographical genre of the previous time, and did so in a rich colloquial language that very convincingly conveys the train of thought and experience of a person.

Contemporaries highly valued Cellini as a craftsman, but opinions were divided regarding his artistic talent; however, despite this, he represented the sculptors at the solemn burial ceremony of Michelangelo. Varchi and Vasari praised his talent as a jeweler. Vasari, for example, wrote that Cellini was an unsurpassed master of medal art, surpassing even the ancients, and the greatest jeweler of his time, as well as a wonderful sculptor. Few of the works of jewelry art he created have survived: the salt shaker of Francis I (1540-1543, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), medals and coins made for Pope Clement VII and Alessandro de' Medici, as well as sketches of a decorative clasp for the vestments of Clement VII.

Cellini's place in art history is determined primarily by his work in the field of sculpture. His work influenced the development of mannerism. The most significant of his works created during his stay in France is the bronze relief of the Nymph of Fontainebleau (before 1545, Louvre). Of the surviving works he executed upon his return to Florence: Perseus (1545-1553, Florence, Loggia dei Lanzi), figurine of a Greyhound (1545-1546, Florence, Bargello); bust of Cosimo de' Medici (1545-1548, ibid.); Ganymede (1548-1550); Apollo and Hyacinth; Narcissus (all in Florence); bust of Bindo Altoviti; Crucifixion (c. 1562, Escorial).

One day Benvenuto disappeared from the Vatican for a long time, taking with him gold and several precious stones, issued to him for work from the papal repository. Moreover, his absence was long enough to arouse the wrath of His Holiness. When Cellini finally returned, he was greeted with abuse: “Oh, these artists! Eternal visitors to taverns, companions of depraved girls, the scum of society, pagans, and not good Christians! - Instead of making an excuse, Cellini silently laid out a cypress casket, inside of which was a gem made of multi-colored sardonyx. Abruptly cutting off his angry philippics, dad looked at the thing for a long time and carefully. On the stone, Cellini carved the canonical gospel story, the Last Supper. Moreover, the multi-colored stone was used in the most inventive way. All of the sardonyx's spots, colors and veining were used in the canonical plot to characterize the characters. Christ found himself in a natural white robe, the Apostle John in blue, Peter in red, and Judas, of course, in a gloomy dark brown tunic. But what struck my dad most of all was the idea that this sardonyx had been lying on the ground for many thousands of years like a simple cobblestone and no one cared about it. But then the “dissolute” artist came, touched the stone with his simple chisel and created a miracle out of the cobblestones. Benvenuto Cellini was forgiven and declared the beloved son of the church. His masterpiece was solemnly transferred to the Cathedral of the Apostle Peter and placed in the altar of the main vestibule. Here it remains to this day, along with other selected gems from all times of Christianity. :125

The autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini inspired Alexandre Dumas to create the novel “Ascanio” - which describes the period of Benvenuto Cellini’s life in France, into which Dumas the father skillfully weaves the love story of the apprentice Ascanio to the daughter of the Parisian provost, Colombe. In 1877, composer Emilio Bozzano wrote the opera Benvenuto Cellini with a libretto by Giuseppe Perosio based on the same autobiography.

The historian of philosophy G. Gefding (1843-1931) reports that while in captivity, Benvenuto Cellini had a real vision of the sun rising above the wall, in the middle of which was the crucified Jesus Christ, followed by Mary and the Child appearing in the form of a relief. Based on the book written by Cellini, A. Dumas Sr. wrote the novel “Ascanio”.

Film incarnations

In the 1963 film "The Magnificent Adventurer", dedicated to the life of Benvenuto Cellini, he was played by Brett Halsey.
The biographical film “Cellini: A Life of Crime” (1990) is dedicated to the life of Benvenuto Cellini.
In the 1992 film "Gold" Cellini is presented in a comic role. During the siege of Rome by the army of Charles of Bourbon, he knocks off Charles's head with a cannon shot,

but dad doesn’t thank him, but scolds him.

In literature

Benvenuto Cellini is one of the main characters in the novel "Ascanio" by Alexandre Dumas the Father.

Write a review of the article "Cellini, Benvenuto"

Notes

Essays

Vita, a cura di G. G. Ferrero, Torino, 1959;
in Russian translation - “The Life of Benvenuto, son of Maestro Giovanni Cellini, a Florentine, written by himself in Florence”, trans. M. Lozinsky, entry. article by A.K. Dzhivelegov, M. - L., ;
the same, 2nd ed., intro. Art. L. Pinsky, M., 1958.

Bibliography

Dzhivelegov A.K., Essays on the Italian Renaissance. Castiglione, Aretino, Cellini, M., 1929;
Vipper B. R., Benvenuto Cellini, in his book: Articles on art. M., 1970;
Camesasca E., Tutta l’opera del Cellini, Mil., 1955;
Calamandrei P., Scritti e inediti celliniani, Firenze, 1971.
López Gajate, Juan. El Cristo Blanco de Cellini. San Lorenzo del Escorial: Escurialenses, 1995.
Pope-Hennessy, John Wyndham. Cellini. New York: Abbeville Press, 1985.
Parker, Derek: Cellini. London, Sutton, 2004.
// Culture of the Renaissance of the 16th century. - M.: Nauka, 1997, p. 157-163
Sorotokina N. M. Benvenuto Cellini. - M.: Veche, 2011. - 368 p., ill. - “Great History.” persons." - 3000 copies, ISBN 978-5-9533-5165-2

Excerpt characterizing Cellini, Benvenuto

– Yes, I will not give up Moscow without giving a battle.
Was Kutuzov thinking about something completely different when he said these words, or did he say them on purpose, knowing their meaninglessness, but Count Rostopchin did not answer anything and hastily walked away from Kutuzov. And a strange thing! The commander-in-chief of Moscow, the proud Count Rostopchin, taking a whip in his hands, approached the bridge and began to disperse the crowded carts with a shout.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Murat's troops entered Moscow. A detachment of Wirtemberg hussars rode ahead, and the Neapolitan king himself rode behind on horseback with a large retinue.
Near the middle of the Arbat, near St. Nicholas the Revealed, Murat stopped, awaiting news from the advance detachment about the situation of the city fortress “le Kremlin”.
A small group of people from the residents remaining in Moscow gathered around Murat. Everyone looked with timid bewilderment at the strange, long-haired boss adorned with feathers and gold.
- Well, is this their king himself? Nothing! – quiet voices were heard.
The translator approached a group of people.
“Take off your hat... take off your hat,” they said in the crowd, turning to each other. The translator turned to one old janitor and asked how far it was from the Kremlin? The janitor, listening in bewilderment to the alien Polish accent and not recognizing the sounds of the translator's dialect as Russian speech, did not understand what was being said to him and hid behind others.
Murat moved towards the translator and ordered to ask where the Russian troops were. One of the Russian people understood what was being asked of him, and several voices suddenly began to answer the translator. A French officer from the advance detachment rode up to Murat and reported that the gates to the fortress were sealed and that there was probably an ambush there.
“Okay,” said Murat and, turning to one of the gentlemen of his retinue, he ordered four light guns to be brought forward and fired at the gate.
The artillery came out at a trot from behind the column following Murat and rode along the Arbat. Having descended to the end of Vzdvizhenka, the artillery stopped and lined up in the square. Several French officers controlled the cannons, positioning them, and looked into the Kremlin through a telescope.
The bell for Vespers was heard in the Kremlin, and this ringing confused the French. They assumed it was a call to arms. Several infantry soldiers ran to the Kutafyevsky Gate. There were logs and planks at the gate. Two rifle shots rang out from under the gate as soon as the officer and his team began to run up to them. The general standing at the cannons shouted command words to the officer, and the officer and the soldiers ran back.
Three more shots were heard from the gate.
One shot hit a French soldier in the leg, and a strange cry of a few voices was heard from behind the shields. On the faces of the French general, officers and soldiers at the same time, as if on command, the previous expression of gaiety and calm was replaced by a stubborn, concentrated expression of readiness to fight and suffer. For all of them, from the marshal to the last soldier, this place was not Vzdvizhenka, Mokhovaya, Kutafya and Trinity Gate, but this was a new area of a new field, probably a bloody battle. And everyone prepared for this battle. The screams from the gate died down. The guns were deployed. The artillerymen blew off the burnt blazers. The officer commanded “feu!” [fallen!], and two whistling sounds of tins were heard one after another. Grapeshot bullets crackled against the stone of the gate, logs and shields; and two clouds of smoke wavered in the square.
A few moments after the rolling of shots across the stone Kremlin, a strange sound was heard above the heads of the French. A huge flock of jackdaws rose above the walls and, cawing and rustling with thousands of wings, circled in the air. Along with this sound, a lonely human cry was heard at the gate, and from behind the smoke the figure of a man without a hat, in a caftan, appeared. Holding a gun, he aimed at the French. Feu! - the artillery officer repeated, and at the same time one rifle and two cannon shots were heard. The smoke closed the gate again.
Nothing else moved behind the shields, and the French infantry soldiers and officers went to the gate. There were three wounded and four dead people lying at the gate. Two people in caftans were running away from below, along the walls, towards Znamenka.
“Enlevez moi ca, [Take it away,” said the officer, pointing to the logs and corpses; and the French, having finished off the wounded, threw the corpses down beyond the fence. No one knew who these people were. “Enlevez moi ca,” was the only word said about them, and they were thrown away and cleaned up later so they wouldn’t stink. Thiers alone dedicated several eloquent lines to their memory: “Ces miserables avaient envahi la citadelle sacree, s"etaient empares des fusils de l"arsenal, et tiraient (ces miserables) sur les Francais. On en sabra quelques "uns et on purgea le Kremlin de leur presence. [These unfortunates filled the sacred fortress, took possession of the guns of the arsenal and shot at the French. Some of them were cut down with sabers, and cleared the Kremlin of their presence.]
Murat was informed that the path had been cleared. The French entered the gates and began to camp on Senate Square. The soldiers threw chairs out of the Senate windows into the square and laid out fires.
Other detachments passed through the Kremlin and were stationed along Maroseyka, Lubyanka, and Pokrovka. Still others were located along Vzdvizhenka, Znamenka, Nikolskaya, Tverskaya. Everywhere, not finding owners, the French settled not as in apartments in the city, but as in a camp located in the city.
Although ragged, hungry, exhausted and reduced to 1/3 of their previous strength, the French soldiers entered Moscow in orderly order. It was an exhausted, exhausted, but still fighting and formidable army. But it was an army only until the minute the soldiers of this army went to their apartments. As soon as the people of the regiments began to disperse to empty and rich houses, the army was destroyed forever and neither residents nor soldiers were formed, but something in between, called marauders. When, five weeks later, the same people left Moscow, they no longer constituted an army. It was a crowd of marauders, each of whom carried or carried with him a bunch of things that seemed valuable and necessary to him. The goal of each of these people when leaving Moscow was not, as before, to conquer, but only to retain what they had acquired. Like that monkey who, having put his hand into the narrow neck of a jug and grabbed a handful of nuts, does not unclench his fist so as not to lose what he has grabbed, and thereby destroys himself, the French, when leaving Moscow, obviously had to die due to the fact that they were dragging with the loot, but it was as impossible for him to throw away this loot as it is impossible for a monkey to unclench a handful of nuts. Ten minutes after each French regiment entered some quarter of Moscow, not a single soldier or officer remained. In the windows of the houses people in greatcoats and boots could be seen walking around the rooms laughing; in the cellars and basements the same people managed the provisions; in the courtyards the same people unlocked or beat down the gates of barns and stables; they lit fires in the kitchens, baked, kneaded and cooked with their hands rolled up, scared, made them laugh and caressed women and children. And there were many of these people everywhere, in shops and in homes; but the army was no longer there.
On the same day, order after order was given by the French commanders to prohibit troops from dispersing throughout the city, to strictly prohibit violence against residents and looting, and to make a general roll call that same evening; but, despite any measures. the people who had previously made up the army dispersed throughout the rich, empty city, abundant in amenities and supplies. Just as a hungry herd walks in a heap across a bare field, but immediately scatters uncontrollably as soon as it attacks rich pastures, so the army scattered uncontrollably throughout the rich city.
There were no inhabitants in Moscow, and the soldiers, like water into sand, were sucked into it and, like an unstoppable star, spread out in all directions from the Kremlin, which they entered first of all. The cavalry soldiers, entering a merchant's house abandoned with all its goods and finding stalls not only for their horses, but also extra ones, still went nearby to occupy another house, which seemed better to them. Many occupied several houses, writing in chalk who occupied it, and arguing and even fighting with other teams. Before they could fit in, the soldiers ran outside to inspect the city and, hearing that everything had been abandoned, rushed to where they could take away valuables for nothing. The commanders went to stop the soldiers and themselves unwittingly became involved in the same actions. In Carriage Row there were shops with carriages, and the generals crowded there, choosing carriages and carriages for themselves. The remaining residents invited their leaders to their place, hoping to thereby protect themselves from robbery. There was an abyss of wealth, and there was no end in sight; everywhere, around the place that the French occupied, there were still unexplored, unoccupied places, in which, as it seemed to the French, there was even more wealth. And Moscow sucked them in further and further. Just as when water pours onto dry land, water and dry land disappear; in the same way, due to the fact that a hungry army entered an abundant, empty city, the army was destroyed, and the abundant city was destroyed; and there was dirt, fires and looting.

The French attributed the fire of Moscow to au patriotisme feroce de Rastopchine [to Rastopchin's wild patriotism]; Russians – to the fanaticism of the French. In essence, there were no reasons for the fire of Moscow in the sense that this fire could be attributed to the responsibility of one or several persons. Moscow burned down due to the fact that it was placed in such conditions under which every wooden city should burn down, regardless of whether the city had one hundred and thirty bad fire pipes or not. Moscow had to burn due to the fact that the inhabitants left it, and just as inevitably as a heap of shavings should catch fire, on which sparks of fire would rain down for several days. A wooden city, in which there are fires almost every day in the summer under the residents, house owners and under the police, cannot help but burn down when there are no inhabitants in it, but live troops smoking pipes, making fires on Senate Square from Senate chairs and cooking themselves two once a day. In peacetime, as soon as troops settle into quarters in villages in a certain area, the number of fires in this area immediately increases. To what extent should the probability of fires increase in an empty wooden city in which an alien army is stationed? Le patriotisme feroce de Rastopchine and the fanaticism of the French are not to blame for anything here. Moscow caught fire from pipes, from kitchens, from fires, from the sloppiness of enemy soldiers and residents - not the owners of the houses. If there were arson (which is very doubtful, because there was no reason for anyone to set fire, and, in any case, it was troublesome and dangerous), then the arson cannot be taken as the cause, since without the arson it would have been the same.
No matter how flattering it was for the French to blame the atrocity of Rostopchin and for the Russians to blame the villain Bonaparte or then to place the heroic torch in the hands of their people, one cannot help but see that there could not have been such a direct cause of the fire, because Moscow had to burn, just as every village and factory had to burn , every house from which the owners will come out and into which strangers will be allowed to run the house and cook their own porridge. Moscow was burned by its inhabitants, it’s true; but not by those residents who remained in it, but by those who left it. Moscow, occupied by the enemy, did not remain intact, like Berlin, Vienna and other cities, only due to the fact that its inhabitants did not offer bread, salt and keys to the French, but left it.

The life of Benvenuto Cellini is a fascinating illustration of the morals of the late Renaissance. On the one hand, he had an undeniable sense of beauty, on the other, he had a reputation as an unpredictable, headstrong person with a violent temper. Actually, we know about Cellini’s life not so much from the surviving memories of his contemporaries, but from the autobiographical book he wrote in adulthood.

Thus, to artistic talents Cellini can be added to the gift of writing. And there was something to tell him about, because he carried out the orders of the popes, the French king Francis I, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo Medici, participated in the defense of besieged Rome, was in prison, repeatedly used his fists and a dagger, and wandered around the cities of Italy for thirty years.

Intrigues, fights and dangerous adventures were Cellini’s constant companions in life, which he colorfully and not without pleasure talks about in his memoirs. However, a very hectic life did not prevent him from trying himself in different types arts: jewelry, embossing, sculpture. However, first things first.

Choosing a path

Benvenuto saw the light of day in the family of the Florentine handyman Giovanni Cellini. Most of all, my father loved to play the flute, and he did it so masterfully that he was invited to the palace orchestra of the ruler of Florence. The ambitious Giovanni seriously dreamed of making his son a famous musician, since Benvenuto had good hearing and a pleasant voice.

But, as often happens, the son was not going to connect his future with the hateful flute. At the age of fifteen, Cellini Benvenuto became an apprentice to the jeweler Antonio di Sandro. He did not have time to complete his studies, because soon, together with his younger brother, he was expelled from Florence for a year and a half for participating in a sword fight.

Without wasting any time, in Siena Benvenuto continued his studies in jewelry making and began independent work. Next important stage In his life, Cellini is associated with Rome, but before that he managed to once again appear in court in Florence on charges of insult. Fleeing from prison, and at the same time from his father’s flute, Benvenuto flees to Rome in 1521.

Papal Rome

At that same time, Pope Clement VII was elected new pontiff in the Vatican. He belonged to the Florentine Medici family, which was always supported by the Cellini family. Arriving in Rome, Benvenuto got a job in the Santi workshop, where they were mainly engaged in chasing vases, candlesticks, jugs, dishes and other household utensils.

Longing for Florence and his father, Benvenuto Cellini began to play the flute, so hated before. He was noticed and invited to join the orchestra, which was supposed to entertain the pontiff with playing during the Summer holiday. Pope Clement noted Benvenuto's playing and took him into his service as a musician.

Ironically, unloved music opened the doors of the most famous houses in Rome for Cellini. Music and another scandal with a Spanish bishop over a vase made by Benvenuto to his order. Thus, Pope Clement VII learned that the musician he had hired was also a talented jeweler and coiner.

Losses and gains

During the brutal sack of Rome by the troops of Emperor Charles V in 1527, Cellini Benvenuto, along with a small garrison of soldiers, defended the besieged Castel Sant'Angelo, where Pope Clement was taking refuge. After the capitulation, he returned briefly to Florence to redeem the court sentence handed down to him 8 years earlier.

A plague epidemic raged in his hometown, claiming the lives of his father and older sister. For the next two years, Cellini alternated between Mantua and Florence, but eventually returned to Rome. Here he did not have to look for orders for long; he was approached by the pontiff himself, who soon appointed Benvenuto to the post of master of the mint.

In May 1529, Cellini experienced a great personal tragedy - the death of his younger brother, killed in a fight. Benvenuto took revenge on the murderer, but Pope Clement VII forgave him the sin of blood feud, since he was a great admirer of his talent. Soon he even granted Cellini’s request, appointing him as his mace-bearer.

The roads of wandering

It would seem good to have a pontiff as a patron, however, having gained the favor of the pope, Benvenuto Cellini also acquired many envious people. To be fair, we note that his quarrelsome character also contributed greatly to the increase in the number of his enemies. Cellini killed one of them, the jeweler Pompeo, with a dagger for insulting him.

After the death of Pope Clement VII, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese was elected pontiff under the name of Paul III. And if the new pope initially favored Cellini, his illegitimate son did everything to deal with the master. Saving his life, Benvenuto flees from Rome to his native Florence, where he receives an order from Duke Alessandro, nicknamed the Moor.

When Rome was preparing for the arrival of Emperor Charles V, the pope again remembered Cellini. Together they decided to prepare a gift for an important guest - a golden cross. However, the amount Cellini paid for the work was three times less than promised. The master was offended and in April 1537 he left Rome in search of, as he wrote, another country.

Imprisonment

The first trip to France was unsuccessful. Francis I was preoccupied with the war, although he received Cellini favorably. The goldsmith had to return to Rome. And so, when he finally received the long-awaited invitation from the French king, he was arrested on a false denunciation.

Cellini, seeing that Pope Paul III had finally turned into his enemy, decided to escape from prison, although unsuccessfully. It is unknown how this whole story would have ended for him if Cardinal d'Este had not arrived in Rome from France. In a conversation with the pontiff, he mentioned that King Francis would like to see Benvenuto Cellini as his court jeweler, whose work he really likes.

At that time, the situation in Europe was such that the pontiff chose not to spoil relations with the king of France. Cellini, on his orders, was released from prison, but the master, it seems, was in no hurry. Having left Rome in March 1540, he arrived in Paris only in October.

Court jeweler of Francis I

Cellini Benvenuto spent five years in France. The local order was not to his taste. If in Italy he got away with fights and even murders relatively easily, then in France - a country where legal proceedings were so developed that sometimes the monarch himself was powerless before the decisions of the municipality - Cellini despaired of litigation.

Nevertheless, he does not stop working on orders from the French king. Francis I favored the master, so he provided him with one of his castles, ordering the treasurer not to skimp and to satisfy all the requests of the court jeweler related to the work.

While living in France, Cellini saw how far his native Italy had come in the field of sculpture. For this reason, it was here that he decided to try his hand at a new role for himself - sculpting. His sculptural images, even if they were not masterpieces, still made it possible to talk about Cellini as a sculptor, and not just as a jeweler.

And again Florence

The year was 1545. Florence was ruled by Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, to whom, upon his return from France, Cellini Benvenuto came to pay his respects. The Duke, having learned that the goldsmith was now also engaged in sculpture, ordered him a statue of Perseus.

Bronze Perseus holding the severed head of Medusa, according to Cosimo I, was supposed to symbolize the victory won by the house of Medici over the Republican evil spirits several years ago.

In April 1554, the sculpture was inaugurated, and the ambitious Cellini received great satisfaction from the enthusiastic reaction of the Florentines who filled the square.

At 60, Cellini married his housekeeper Pietra, who bore him five children. IN last years In his entire life, the master made his living by making jewelry, since due to a disagreement with the Duke, he received almost no orders from him.

Benvenuto Cellini died in February 1571 and was buried in his native Florence with great honors, as befits a great master.

Cellini the jeweler

Despite the fact that Cellini was famous among his contemporaries as a goldsmith, only one of his jewelry works has reached us - “Saliera” (salt shaker), a tabletop gold figurine made for King Francis. Today, the value of the 26 cm high salt shaker is estimated at approximately $60 million.

Unfortunately, Cellini's jewelry was lost over the centuries. Over time, owners melted them down to make new, more fashionable gold jewelry, or to survive difficult times, as often happened to dukes and popes.

In addition to the aforementioned salt shaker, medals, shields, seal impressions, and coins stamped by Benvenuto Cellini have also been preserved. These works, as well as descriptions of lost jewelry, give us an idea of high level his skill. He was truly a talented medalist, chaser and jeweler.

Benvenuto Cellini - sculptor

Cellini the sculptor was luckier. In addition to “Perseus”, his other sculptures, as well as small figurines, have been preserved: “Minerva”, “Narcissus”, “Apollo and Hyacinth”, “Mercury”, “Fear”, “Jupiter”, etc.

According to art critics, they clearly show the emergence of a new style - mannerism. It is characterized by the loss of harmony between the spiritual and the physical, which was inherent in the works of the Renaissance.

The master cast all these sculptures from bronze, only one in his declining years was made from white and black marble. It is not at all similar to the previous works of Benvenuto Cellini. The statue of Jesus Christ today is located in the El Escorial palace-monastery near Madrid.

About myself without false modesty

Cellini's talent manifested itself not only in his work, but also in the field of literature. Shortly before his death, he wrote two treatises devoted to sculpture and goldsmithing. Using them you can study the history of jewelry and foundry during the Renaissance. Not long ago, both treatises were translated into Russian along with Cellini’s sonnets.

However, his other literary work is best known - “The Biography of Benvenuto Cellini”, where the author, following the traditions of his time, does not skimp on praise for himself and his creations. At the age of 58, the master began to dictate to his secretary the first chapters of an autobiographical book and hardly thought that centuries later historians would add his memoirs to the list of sources on Italian history of the 16th century.

Cellini's abbreviated "Life" was published in Naples in 1728, and the full text, corresponding to the author's manuscript, was published in Florence only a hundred years later. Today we have at our disposal a complete translation of Cellini’s memoirs, completed in 1931 by M. Lozinsky.

Back in the 18th century, Cellini’s “Biography” began to be translated in Europe. For example, I. Goethe himself translated the autobiography of the Florentine Renaissance master into German. Schiller and Stendhal recognized the great influence Benvenuto Cellini's book had on their literary work.

As already mentioned, the master cast the sculptures from bronze, but marble requires a different approach. For a long time it was believed that Cellini executed the crucifixion of Christ from a single piece of marble, until one of Napoleonic vandal soldiers exposed steel frame, slashing the sculpture’s forearm with a saber.

Cellini’s extraordinary personality attracted A. Dumas, who made him one of the heroes of the novel “Ascanio” (by the way, Ascanio’s student, who came with him from Rome, actually lived in France with the master).

Cellini was a man of a generous soul; he always helped his relatives financially, and after the death of his younger sister, he took upon himself the care of six nieces. Perhaps, from the point of view of modern mentality, Benvenuto was an arrogant braggart prone to unbridled antics, but such were the mores of the time, and his life, full of adventures, was just a reflection of them.