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(Images from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benvenuto_Cellini )
Benvenuto Cellini's Autobiography: I read this book for a history class, and I must say, I have never read anythying so full of self praise as this book. You really needs to read it in order to be able to laugh at the pompous person i.e. Benvenuto Cellini!!
The classical artist was a paid salve, a laborer, not an intellectual thinker or a creator. In middle ages, art developed into a more professional form with the formation of guilds. But it was not until renaissance, that artist made a status in the society, and was recognized and appreciated for the work. He received religious and royal patronage and enjoyed the ripe fruit of his labor. Benevento Cellini was a celebrated renaissance artist, writer, soldier, musician and goldsmith. Cellini’s ‘Vita’ may be historically inaccurate; because the narrator, like all other human beings, is biased and partial, but it describes the renaissance views of religious supremacy, ideas of political correctness and art of selling self as a valuable entity incredibly well. Despite its carefully crafted nature, it fails to hide the fact that the renaissance society was not a very just society and the authorities often misused their power. The biography is rather pompous, or narcissistic, where the writer tries to accentuate the good in him, while drawing the reader’s attention away from his personal flaws.
In the very beginning of the book, Cellini establishes his love for his self. He makes the proud declaration in the starting paragraph that every great man, “…if he cares for truth and goodness, ought to write the story of his own life, in his own hand” (Cellini 1). He admits that he was proud of the way he led his life by saying, “and I intend to tell the story of my life with certain pride” (Cellini 2). Throughout the narrative, he admits to various crimes he committed from small fights to murder and rape. But at each occasion, the narrative is more of a self justification, rather than a true confession.
The beauty of the story lies in the insight that it provides into the life of the upper class of renaissance Italy. Cellini served under royalties such as dukes, bishops, cardinals, popes and ended up making various friends and enemies. Pope Clement III was a great benefactor of Cellini, and the narrative is replete with instances of when the pope not only forgave Cellini for his mistakes without slightest admonition, but also showed extreme affection for him. On one occasion, when Cellini was accused of stealing gold from Holy Jewels, and he was confessing to the pope, the pope said, “I can absolve you from every fault that you are guilty of, and what is more I want to do so” (Cellini 77). On the same occasion when Cellini told the pope that the gold earned him only 140 ducats, the pope said, “I am very sorry that the money was so little…I make you a present of it and I completely forgive you” (Cellini 78). At numerous instances, pope Clement and Paul III are seen admiring Cellini, and ranking him above all other goldsmiths, in terms of his work, honesty and righteousness. On one occasion, while introducing Cellini to a nobleman, Clement said, “He is the greatest man his profession has ever known” (Cellini 103). These examples explain how an artist of renaissance was patronized by a religious figure, who built his reputation in front of the wealthy men. Art in renaissance was as highly, if not more, esteemed as scientific education or philosophy. It was Cellini’s primary means for earning his livelihood. It is seen later, however, that Cellini’s attitude agitated the pope on the matter of a chalice, and the relationship between the two deteriorated to being less than friendly. The terms got better again, just before pope’s death.
The murder of the goldsmith Pompeo needs elaboration. This incident is significant in the current context because it throws the light on the concepts of revenge and justice and of power and influence of the authoritative figures on the society in general. It shows how, at times, artists were above law because of their royal patronage. Pompeo was the middle man in Cellini’s fight with Pope Clement on the matter of chalice. At the time of this murder, Cellini was working for Pope Paul III. Ludovico, Pompeo’s brother who was infuriated by the murder at first, later made peace with Cellini. Historians present numerous reasons for Ludovico’s patch up with Cellini. Trevor Lowe, in his book, “Crime, society and the law in Renaissance Italy” says, “There are various reasons; Pressure from Paul III …Giovanni Gaddi may have promised Ludovico that he would use his influence to secure for him his brother’s job…Ludovico did indeed take over his brother’s position shortly afterwards” (167). The Cardinal Cornaro, on the murder of Pompeo said about Cellini, “He would have committed a great crime not to have committed this petty one” (Cellini 129). This incidence tells the reader that the aristocratic privileges were above moral values in that society. Cellini later received his pardon at the Feast of Assumption from Paul III himself.
(One of Cellini's sculptures)
Cellini also tells the reader that he was an exceptionally brave soldier. He imposes at various places in the story that he was a perfectionist in his own way. He was a man of strong will power, who never left his ground. At one such instance in Florence, when he was surrounded by a mob he said, “You can now see clearly that I cannot be forced to do what I do not want to do, and that what I could have done, I didn’t want to do” (Cellini 137). Here, he is warning his enemies that they could expect the worst from him. At another occasion, when he was serving the King of France, he was taking a considerable sum of money to his house when some men attacked him for getting the money. He writes, “I told them there was nothing to be won from a soldier but his cloak and his sword; these I was resolved not to resign tamely but to defend them at the risk of my life” (Cellini 260). These lines show Cellini’s sense of self respect, self admiration and self confidence. He was never afraid to take his stand, no matter how much trouble it landed him into. During early sixteenth century (1527), Spanish and German forces combined under count of Bourbon against Rome, historically known as the Sack of Rome. Cellini worked with Clement VII, until the walls were conquered by the imperial army and the pope was forced into a secret hiding. The war was significant historically, because it resulted in the union of Florence, Italy and the papacy. This war and various small fights that Cellini landed himself into, depict the condition of law and order in renaissance Italy. The monarchs were the supreme bearers of law, which they could alter based on personal preferences.
The list of Cellini’s travels is long and filled with chaos. He was born in Florence, but was banished from his hometown for a period of six months when he was an early teenager. He landed into problems and extreme crises from time to time. Most of these situations were self created because he had a furious temperament, a sense of self righteousness and a haughty attitude. He traveled to Siena and then to Rome, where he murdered a man to avenge his brother and fled to Florence. He stayed there for a little while and then traveled to Venice but came back to Florence once again. He murdered Pompeo the goldsmith, and was forgiven for the murder in Rome. He traveled to France, where he was charged with stealing and was imprisoned. He was released as a favor from the pope again; he traveled back to Florence via Rome. He then traveled to Piacenza, Cosimo and Pisa. Towards the end of his biography it is seen that his patrons were not very hospitable to him. Duke Perseus did not even pay him for making bas-reliefs. During his life time, he was accused of stealing twice, murdered two men, raped and had an illegitimate daughter, was imprisoned, charged of sodomy and poisoned twice. Despite all of this, one particularly striking feature that is apparent in his travels is the commotion and the unrest that he created in the places he visited. Cellini was a real disaster, he was unafraid and arrogant, and he was a man of his own will!
Living in sixteenth century was a matter of great art, where one had to sell one’s self in a manner that pleased the men of power. But it was also an era of tremendous intellectual growth, where people started thinking of, and for themselves. Cellini is an example of this bold and outrageous thinking. Newness was welcomed, and the old and new blended together to create an amalgam of success and accomplishment. This was an era in which art was greatly esteemed. Painters started incorporation of the natural images into their painting, goldsmiths, like Cellini were comfortable experimenting with new patterns of foliage in their work. Art transitioned from being religious to being natural. It was the era that produced the giants like Michelangelo and Da’Vinci. Art may not have brought great riches to all but at least great artists were prized and given a certain degree of immunity from the forces of law and order. In the words of pope Paul III on hearing of the death of Pompeo and the call for Cellini to be brought to justice, “You do not understand these things as well as I do, You should realize that men like Benevento, unique in their profession must not be subject to the law” (Cellini 130)
Cellini, Benvenuto. Autobiography. Trans. George Bull. England: Penguin. 1998. Print.
Lowe, Trevor. Crime, society and the law in Renaissance Italy. Great Britain: Cambridge, 1994. Web. 09 Feb. 2011.
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