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

3IO
VINCENZO FOPPA
understand) when your Excellency went to see the work with Messer Cicho and was
satisfied with it. The greater part of the gilding was then completed, as your
Excellency saw ; they say it might all have been finished by now if they had devoted
less time and care to it, but there are two hundred figures, three-cjuarters of a cubit in
length, of saints whose relics will be in the caskets, and they have not allowed any
other master besides themselves to touch them. Thus Master Giacomino and Master
Costantino have some of the panels of the ancona here (at Milan), and are at work upon
them. Master Bonifazio and Master Vincenzo are at Pavia, and they also are at work
upon this ancona. They say they do not wish to regard the question of time if they
can do the work creditably and well.
I commend myself always to your Highness, etc., your servant,
From Milan, the 7th day of December, 1476.
Bartolomeo de Cremona.
30. Payment to Vincenzo Foppa from Dame Zaccarina Beccaria for his share of the
frescoes of S. Giacomo at Pavia, i.e. the large composition (the Crucifixion), six smaller
ones and a portion of the border. Payment also from the same to Bonifazio Bembo for
his share of the work.
December 16, 1476, Pavia.
In nomine Domini, amen. Anno nativitatis eiusdem millesimo quadringentesimo
septuagesimo sexto, inditione nona, die sextodecimo mensis decembris, hora terciarum,
in civitate Papie, videlicet in domo habitacionis infrascripte domine Zacharine, Porte
Pallacensis, Parochie Sancti Quirici. Ibique, etc. Cum hoc sit quod alias, videlicet
de anno proxime preterite et die X Julii, magnifica domina Zacharina de Lonate
relicta quondam magnifici militis domini Augustini de Becharia, fecerit certas conventiones
et certa pacta cum magistro Vincentio de Fopa, magistro Bonifacio de Bembis
de Cremona, cum magistro Jacobo Vicemala, magistro Constantino de Vaprio et nunc
quondam magistro Zaneto de Bugatis, omnibus pictoribus, descriptas et descripta in
quadam lista subscripta manu propria ipsorum magistrorum depinctorum, et inter cetera
quod ipsi magistri depinctores tenerentur depingere in ecclesia sancti Jacobi Papie
Passionem Domini nostri Jhesu Christi, ab Annunciatione usque ad Mortem, in viginti
uno capitulo, computato capitulo Passionis, qui tenet locum quatuor capitulorum, et
cornixo uno super, juxta et prout continetur in ipsis pactis et conventionibus, ad quas
et que relacio habeatur : Et quod pro ipso opere ipsa domina Zacharina teneretur ipsis
magistris depinctoribus solvere et dare ducatos centum nonaginta, et tantum minus
quantum ipsum opus estimabitur per spectabilem dominum Johannem Antonium de
Girardis, ducalem canzellarium et nobilem Florellum de Becharia, quibus data est
potestas et commissio per ambas partes, per dictas convenciones et pacta ad quas et que
plena relacio habeatur :
Sitque verum quod dictum opus fuerit et sit per dictos magistros,
et seu per suprascriptos magistros Vincentium, Bonifacium, Jacobum et Constantinum,
seu eorum nomine, subsequuta morte suprascripti quondam magistri Zaneti,
perfectum et finitum : et quod ipsum jam dictum opus fuerit diligenter per suprascriptos
dominos Johannem Antonium et Florellum commissarios antedictos visum, consideratum
et estimatum ac declaratum hoc modo, videlicet : Suprascripti viginti capituli, ad computum
de libris viginti septem et soldis duodecim cum dimidio pro quolibet capitulo,