Vincenzo Foppa of Brescia, founder of the Lombard school, his life ...

Chap. III. FRESCOES IN THE DUCAL CHAPEL, MILAN 8i
decorative works by Stefano de' Fedeli in one of the apartments of the
Duchess.^
Valuing" frescoes was always a serious business ; the painters who undertook
the task swearing solemnly that they would judge the work with the
utmost rectitude and impartiality, the oath being administered by the Commissioner
of Works—in this case Bartolomeo Gadio.'
Four pictures, which from their appearance would seem to belong to a
comparatively early period of Foppa's career, may perhaps be ascribed to
these years, 1460-70, i.e. the Madonnas in the Castello Museum at Milan, in
the Berlin Gallery, and in the collections of Prince Trivulzio at Milan and of
Mr. Berenson at Settignano. The first-named is a most admirably character-
(mentioned on p. 76), called also Sala Celeste (see the plan of the Castello, Beltr., pt.
I, and pt. II, ch. i ; and Sa/a delle Asse, p. 13). After the death of Galeazzo Maria 500
ducats were still owing to the painters for their work here, and it may have been in the
hope of obtaining his share of these arrears that Stefano de' Fedeli sent in his petition
(Beltr., ;
379) a further valuation seems to have been ordered by the reigning Duke in
February, 1477, though probably the expression "non essendo estimato" is to be
understood as " //"the work has not already been valued"; for as we know that this had
been done by Foppa and his associates in 1473, it was hardly likely to have been
repeated, and in July, 1477, Gadio was ordered to settle accounts with the painters
(Beltr., 381). The chapel now forms part of the Sculpture Museum in the Castello,
and at the entrance has been placed the marble door of the Medici Bank. Some of the
frescoes on the ceiling and walls (the Resurrection, figures of Saints, and the Annunciation),
were recovered from whitewash in 1897. The principal references to the paintings
in this chapel are in Beltrami, Castello, 283, 319, 379, 693, etc. Senatore Beltrami's
information is repeated by Count Malaguzzi and others, but no further light is thrown
on the subject. An article in the Milnchener Allgemeine Zeituug, 1894, also deals with
these paintings, though the castles of Milan and Pavia have there been confused.
Some critics affirm that Foppa's hand may be recognized among the frescoes of this
room, but we must confess that nothing among these injured fragments appears to us
worthy of his name ; moreover, the identity of the painters employed in the decoration
of this chapel seems fairly proved, from the documents referred to. Vincenzo would
scarcely have been chosen to value the work had he himself had a share in its
execution.
^
Beltr., Cast., p. 318.
- The form of administering the oath is almost invariably referred to as follows :
" Ad chi fo dato il sacramento per domino . . . Comissario generate delli lavorerii ducali
che estimassino giustamente" (To whom the oath was administered by the Commissioner
General of the Ducal works that they should judge with rectitude). Occasionally, as in
a letter to Gadio (December, 1472, Miss, no, f. i22)relatingto works by Bembo, Leonardo
Ponzano, and Zanetto Bugati, he is ordered to administer the oath to the two valuers
" de judicare secondo la verita " (to judge according to the truth).
An interesting specimen of these artistic valuations is contained in a Pavian document
of November 10, 1489. The works in question are the four shutters of a carved
G