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

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VINCENZO FOPPA
28. Letter of the Duke to Foppa and his colleagues relating to the frescoes of
S. Giacomo at Pavia.
August 23,
1476, Pavia.
Dux Mediolani, &c. Magistris Bonifatio de Cremona, Vincentio de Foppa et
Jacopino Zaynario pictoribus.
Madonna Zacharina, che fu mogliera del quondam d°° Augusto de Beccaria, ne ha
sporto r inclusa supplicatione per la quale se lamenta che per voy et li compagni vostri
non glie stato atteso quanto gli eravate obligati circal dipingere la vita di Cristo in la
chiesia de San Jacomo fora di questa nostra cita de Pavia come piu ad pieno se narra.
II perche parendone honesto che gli sii observato quanto per voy glie stato promisso,
vi dicemo et volimo che voy li atendiate secondo le obbligatione vostre, con fare che la
depinctura non sii facta per tante mane come pare vorria esser facto, per non fare
r opera disforma :
ma uno di voy la fornisca, essendo obligati in solidum, piii presto sii
possibile ; non intendendo pero per questo de preiudicare in aliquo alle rasone de
Magistro Constantino, al quale potrete dare notitia de quanto ve scrivemo, eseguendo
pero uno di voy quanto e dicto di sopra, si per attendere et observare 1' obligatione
vostra, si per belleza et honore de la chiesia ut supra, declarandovi che nostra intentione
non e che per questo si ritardi lopra de la capella de questo nostro castello de Pavia,
qual opra volimo sii fornita prestissimo. Papie, die xxiii Augusti, 1476. Intendendo
nuy chel non prejudicare ale rasone d' esso suprascripto Magistro Constantino, sii per
lopra facta ad suo nome.
Arch, di St. Mil., Miss. Due, No. 123, 1476, f.
354.
Cafli in Arch. Stor. Lomb. 1878, 105.
Chap. IV, p. III.
The Duke of Milan, etc., to the Masters Bonifazio da Cremona, Vincenzo Foppa,
and Jacomino Zaynario, painters.
Dame Zaccarina, widow of the late Augusto de Beccaria, has sent the enclosed
petition in which she complains that you and your companions have not fulfilled your
obligations with regard to the paintings of the Life of Christ in the Church of
S. Giacomo outside our city of Pavia, as fully set forth therein. And her complaint
appearing to us just, after hearing what you had promised, we desire and order that you
fulfil your obligations towards her, seeing to it that the painting be not executed by too
many hands, as appears to be likely, so that the uniformity of the work be not impaired.
But one of you should finish it as quickly as possible having bound yourselves to do so.
It is not intended, however, that this should be prejudicial to the interests of Master
Costantino, whom you may inform of the contents of this letter, but one of you is to carry
into execution what is stated above, both in order to fulfil your obligations and for the
honour and ornament of the said Church ; and we declare to you that it is not our
intention to permit the work in the Chapel of our Castle at Pavia to be retarded for this,
which work we desire shall be finished very soon. Pavia, Aug. xxiii, 1476. We
repeat that this is not to be prejudicial to the interests of Master Costantino or to the
work executed in his name.