The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-24
CELLINI

ME- cnleI gunnaan LOT the rope
4 in defending SAINT Angelo in
the attack of 1927 was named Ben
venuto Cellini. Il went on firing
under the eyes Of several cardinals
and lords, who kept blessing me.
I was perhaps more inclined
by nature to the profession OF arms
than to the one 1 had adopted, and
I took such pleasure in its duties
that I discharged them better than
those Of my art"
Nevertheless his gun exploded
amateurishly enough, nearly kill
ing Cardinal 'Farnese; it did not
disturb the artist, who writes. "Of
Farnese I shall say nothing here
because it will appear in its proper
place how well it would have been
if I had killed him"
In the midst of the slaughter Gel
lini thought 1t a providential OPP
portunity TO ask Of the Pope for
givenesS for the various murders
which he had committed during his
twenty-seven years. "Thereat the
Pope, making a large open sign OF
the cross upon my face, told me that
he blessed me, and gave me pardon
for all murders I had ever perpe-
trated, or should ever perpetrate, in
the service of the Apostolic Church"
Let us daily a while with this
man; for not only does he blazor;
forth that audacious individualiSm
which made Italian art and ruined
Italian politics, but he is himself
one of the heroes of the Renaissance
an irresistible combination of artist
and buccaneer, genius and murder
err, pious adulterer and Gin Mich
elangelo's judgment) "the greatest
goldsmith the world has ever
known"
All the better that we can tell his
story in his own words, from one
of the most vivid and revealing au-
photographers in literature; one OF
the master books of modern times,
book as absorbing as if d'Artag-
nan, laying down his sword now and
then, has taken up the quill and
written, with that same fire and
thrust with which he had fought,
the tale of how, between duels, ne
had wrought masterpieces in silver
and gold for the princes Of the
world.
Z VEN in his birth Benvenuto was
II slightly contrary; his parents
had had a long succession of girls;
and "inasmuch as those longings to
which pregnant woman are subject
were now exactly the same as
those of my mothers former preg-
nancy, they made their minds up
that she would give birth to a fe-
male as before, and agreed to call
the child Reparata. So Ben came;
and his father, in grateful astonish-
ment, called him Welcome Benve-
nuto.
The father of Benvenuto Cellipi
was man in his own right-a mu-
sician, an ivory worker, and an en-
gineer. He taught Ben the fife
and cornet, and prayed him, seeing
his rapid progress, to devote his
career to music; whereupon Ben
announced his intention of becom-
ing an artist. The wise father
yielded, feeling that no man can
learn through another's experience,
but only through his own mistakes.
Benvenuto began rcsolutely with
anatomy: "the important point in
the art of drawing" he tells us, sis
to draw we'll a naked man or a
naked woman"
\ Perhaps his Immortality, like
that of so many artists, was part of
the price he paid for his artistic in
clinations and temperament; one
must know and love passionately
that which one would sender we'll.
He was Cellini fro mthe begin
ming: obstinate, proud, and without
fear. When his brother was at
tackled by ruffians, and fell to the
earth half dead, ST ran up at once,
seized his sword, and stood in front
of him, bearing the brunt of several
rapiers and a shower of stones. I
never left his side until some brave
soldiers came from the gate San
Gallo and rescued me from the
raging crowd. They marveled much,
the while, to find such valor in SO
young a boy"
1t is evident that Benvenuto adj
mires Cellini, and does not propose
to minimize his exploits: we shall
have to take him with grain of
salt, for he gets the better Of too
many arguments, and wins too
many duels, to be quite trustworthy;