【简译】本韦努托·切利尼（Benvenuto Cellini）

Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571 CE) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, medallist, and goldsmith whose most famous works today include the bronze statue of Perseus holding the head of Medusa, which now stands in Florence, and a magnificent gold salt cellar made for Francis I of France (r. 1515-1547 CE), now in Vienna. Although the surviving body of Cellini's work is surprisingly small, he remains one of the best-known Renaissance artists thanks to his colorful autobiography, written around 1558 CE.

          本韦努托·切利尼（公元1500-1571年）是意大利文艺复兴时期的雕塑家、勋章获得者和金匠，他最著名的作品是现在矗立在佛罗伦萨的珀尔修斯手持美杜莎头颅的青铜雕像，以及为法国弗朗西斯一世（公元1515-1547年）制作的华丽金盐罐，该藏品现保存在维也纳。尽管现存的切利尼的作品少得令人吃惊，但由于他在公元1558年左右写下的丰富多彩的自传，使得他仍然是文艺复兴时期最著名的艺术家之一。

生平和作品

Benvenuto Cellini was born in Florence in 1500 CE, the son of a stonemason. Benvenuto's father had hoped he would also train to become a mason, perhaps to become a woodwind player, too. Benvenuto loved drawing, though, and his creative vent found an outlet in metalwork. Cellini began his career as an apprentice in a goldsmith's workshop in Florence. In 1519 CE the young craftsman moved on to Rome, working in the mint there, and he remained in the Eternal City until 1540 CE. While Rome was his base, there were short spells spent working in Florence and Venice. Perhaps in the latter city, he came across Islamic art as Cellini often used 'arabesque' motifs in his metalwork engravings.

          本韦努托·切利尼于公元1500年出生在佛罗伦萨，是一位石匠的儿子。本韦努托的父亲曾希望他也能成为一名泥瓦匠，也许还能成为一名管乐器演奏家。不过，本韦努托喜欢绘画，他的创造力在金属加工方面找到了出口。切利尼开始了他的职业生涯，在佛罗伦萨的一个金匠作坊当学徒。公元1519年，这位年轻的工匠移居罗马，在那里的铸币厂工作，他在罗马一直呆到公元1540年。虽然罗马是他的落脚地，但他曾在佛罗伦萨和威尼斯短暂工作过。也许在后一个城市，他接触到了伊斯兰艺术，因为切利尼经常在他的金属制品雕刻中使用“阿拉伯式”纹样。

Cellini moved to France in 1540 CE and remained there for the next five years. He made various works of art for the French king Francis I, including his famous salt cellar and the bronze plaque of Diana (see below). Back in Florence for good from 1545 CE, the artist worked on several commissions from Cosimo I de' Medici, then Duke of Florence (ruled 1537-1569 CE). One project was the statue of Perseus (see below) and Cellini also did an idealised bronze portrait bust of the duke. The bust has Cosimo fetchingly dressed in armour as Roman emperors were wont to wear for their portraits. An interesting detail is the roaring lion on Cosimo's right shoulder, a reference to his prowess as a political leader as the lion or marzocco was a potent symbol throughout the history of Florence. The bust once had gilt highlights and enamel eyes. Curiously, Cosimo sent the bust to Elba after he conquered that island in 1557 CE. It measures an impressive 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in) in height, and today it is back more or less where it was made, residing in the Bargello Museum in Florence.

          切利尼于公元1540年移居法国，并在那里呆了五年。他为法国国王弗朗西斯一世制作了各种艺术作品，包括著名的盐罐和黛安娜的青铜牌匾（见下文）。从公元1545年回到佛罗伦萨后，切利尼为当时的佛罗伦萨公爵科西莫一世·德·美第奇 (Cosimo I de' Medici，公元1537-1569年在位)的几个委托项目工作。其中一个项目是珀尔修斯的雕像（见下文），切利尼还为公爵制作了一个理想化的青铜半身像。半身像上的科西莫身穿铠甲，就像罗马皇帝画像一样，非常漂亮。一个有趣的细节是科西莫右肩上咆哮的狮子，这是指他作为一个政治领袖的能力，因为狮子或Marzocco在整个佛罗伦萨的历史上是强大的象征。当时，半身像有金色反光和珐琅眼睛。有趣的是，科西莫在 1557 年征服厄尔巴岛后将半身像送到了厄尔巴岛。它的高度令人印象深刻，达到了1.1米（3英尺7英寸），今天它又回到了它的制造地，保存在佛罗伦萨的巴杰罗博物馆。

Another bronze portrait bust was commissioned by the banker Bindo Altoviti (1491-1557 CE). Finally, Cellini produced a life-size representation of Jesus Christ on the Cross (c. 1562 CE), which was perhaps originally intended for the sculptor's own tomb but which now resides in the San Lorenzo Monastery, El Escorial, Spain. Cellini died in May 1571 CE, and he was buried in the Basilica of the Most Holy Annunciation in Florence.

          另一个半身铜像是由银行家宾多·阿尔托维蒂（公元1491-1557年）委托制作的。切利尼制作了一个真人大小的耶稣基督在十字架上的形象（约公元1562年），这可能是最初为雕塑家自己的坟墓准备的，但现在它保存在西班牙埃尔埃斯科里亚尔的圣洛伦索修道院里。切利尼于公元1571年5月去世，他被埋葬在佛罗伦萨的圣母领报大教堂。

For such a famous artist and for one who we know so much about personally, the works which can be positively identified as by the hand of Cellini are surprisingly few. There are merely seven sculptures, seven coins, three medals, two seals, and one salt cellar.

          对于这样一位如此著名和广为人知的艺术家来说，可以确定是出自切利尼之手的作品少得令人吃惊。只有七尊雕塑、七枚硬币、三枚奖章、两枚印章和一个盐罐。

枫丹白露的女神

Commissioned by Francis I, the Nymph of Fontainebleau is a larger-than-lifesize bronze plaque showing a reclining Diana from Greek/Roman mythology. Diana was a huntress and so an ideal subject for the French king who was a passionate hunter of forest game. The nude goddess has a massive stag with huge antlers looking over her shoulder while at the sides of the piece are deer, wild boars, and hunting dogs. The sculpture was originally meant to sit above the entrance gate of the Palace of Fontainebleau, hence its misleading name, but the king never got around to having it installed. When Henry II of France became king (r. 1547-1559 CE), he decided the sculpture was more suitable for a hunting lodge and so gave it to his mistress Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566 CE) for her home, the Chateau d'Anet, south of Paris. Today, the sculpture is in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

          The Nymph of Fontainebleau（枫丹白露的女神）是由弗朗西斯一世委托制作的，这是一块比真人还大的青铜牌，展示了希腊/罗马神话中的黛安娜的躺姿。黛安娜是一位女猎手，因此是这位热衷于狩猎森林野味的法国国王的理想对象。裸体女神的肩膀上有一只巨大的鹿角，而在作品的两侧有鹿、野猪和猎狗。这座雕塑原本是要放在枫丹白露宫的大门上方的，因此它的名字很容易让人误解，但国王一直没能把它安装起来。当法国亨利二世成为国王（公元1547-1559年）时，他认为这个雕塑更适合用于狩猎场，于是将它送给了他的情妇迪亚娜·德·普瓦捷（公元1499-1566年），放在她的家中，即巴黎南部的阿内城堡。今天，这座雕塑被收藏在巴黎的卢浮宫博物馆。

切利尼金盐罐

The finest example of Cellini's skills as a goldsmith is the salt cellar he made for Francis I, in the early 1540s CE. Made using enamel and gold set on an ebony base it has two reclining nude figures at the top. The female figure either represents the Roman mother goddess Tellus, symbolising the earth, or Ceres, the goddess of agriculture. Next to her, the miniature temple was designed to hold pepper. The male figure is the Greek/Roman god Poseidon/Neptune, who holds a trident and, of course, he represents the sea. The boat next to him was intended to be filled with salt. The two figures have their legs intertwined, suggesting the mutual interdependence of these two spheres of human existence (Campbell, 350), as well as the frequent coupling of these two bounties of the earth and sea on the aristocratic dinner plate: salt and pepper. The base of the cellar is decorated with figures variously representing the Hours, the Winds, and human activities. The salt cellar was later given by King Charles IX of France (r. 1560-1574 CE) as a wedding present to Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol, which explains why the piece has ultimately found its way to its present location, the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna.

          切利尼 (Cellini) 金匠技艺的最佳例证是他在 16世纪40 年代初期为弗朗西斯一世 (Francis I) 制作的盐罐。它是用珐琅和黄金镶嵌在乌木底座上制成的，顶部有两个躺着的裸体人物。女性形象要么代表罗马的母神Tellus，象征着大地；要么代表农业女神Ceres。在她的旁边，微型神庙被设计用来盛放胡椒粉。男性形象是希腊/罗马的波塞冬/海神，他手持三叉戟，当然，他代表的是大海。他旁边的船是为了装满盐。这两个人物的腿交织在一起，暗示着人类存在的这两个领域的相互依存关系（Campbell, 350），以及在贵族的餐盘上经常将这两种大地和海洋的恩赐联在一起：盐和胡椒。地窖的底部装饰着不同的人物，代表着时辰、风和人类活动。这个盐罐后来被法国国王查理九世（公元1560-1574年）作为结婚礼物送给了蒂罗尔的费迪南大公，这也解释了为什么这件作品存放在现在的位置，即维也纳艺术史博物馆。

珀尔修斯与美杜莎头颅雕像

Cellini's signature work is a bronze statue of Perseus, the hero from Greek mythology, made between 1545 and 1554 CE. The figure was commissioned by Cosimo I and it was an opportunity for Cellini to show that his stint abroad had not diminished his position as one of the city's foremost artists. The completed figure is larger than lifesize and stands 3.2 metres (10 ft 6 in) tall on an intricately carved pedestal.

          切利尼的标志性作品是希腊神话英雄珀尔修斯的青铜雕像，制作于公元1545年至1554年。这座雕像是科西莫一世委托制作的，这对切利尼来说是一个机会，表明他在国外的经历并没有削弱他作为城市最重要的艺术家之一的地位。完成后的雕像比真人还大，高3.2米（10英尺6英寸），站立在一个精雕细琢的基座上。

Perseus has just cut off the head of the dreadful gorgon Medusa, whose stare turned living creatures into stone. The corpse of Medusa is shown being trampled on by the hero who wields a mighty sword while looking suitably disdainful of his foe. Cellini has boldly added his name to the piece, written on the ribbon across the hero's chest. The statue today stands in the Loggia della Signoria (aka Loggia dei Lanzi) in Florence, exactly where it was originally intended to stand and so display the erudition and wealth of the Medici family to the people of the dukedom. Renaissance art was rarely commissioned for its aesthetic appeal alone, and Cosimo de' Medici knew full well that the Florentines would see in the hero vanquishing a fearsome enemy a reflection of the Medici's success as rulers battling rival cities and states.

          珀尔修斯刚刚砍下了可怕的蛇发女妖美杜莎的头颅，她的目光可以将生灵变成石头。美杜莎的尸体被英雄踩在脚下，他挥舞着一把强大的剑，看起来对他的敌人很不屑一顾。切利尼在作品中大胆地加入了自己的名字，写在英雄胸前的丝带上。这座雕像如今矗立在佛罗伦萨的佣兵凉廊（又名Loggia dei Lanzi），正是它最初矗立的地方，向公国的人民展示了美第奇家族的博学和财富。文艺复兴时期的艺术很少仅仅因为其审美吸引力而被委托创作，科西莫·迪·乔凡尼·德·美第奇很清楚，佛罗伦萨人会从英雄战胜可怕的敌人中看到美第奇家族作为统治者与敌对城市和国家斗争的成功体现。

自     传

Cellini, like several other noted Renaissance artists, used the written word to pass on his experience and opinions regarding his craft. He wrote a treatise on sculpture, for example, and this gives all kinds of practical advice for artists ranging from how to cast bronze sculpture correctly to how to make the best plaster for moulds by mixing gesso with ground ox horn and rinsed horse manure.

          切利尼和其他一些著名的文艺复兴艺术家一样，用文字来传递他的经验和关于他的手艺的意见。例如，他写了一篇关于雕塑的论文，为艺术家们提供了各种实用的建议，从如何正确地铸造青铜雕塑，到如何用石膏与磨碎的牛角和冲洗过的马粪混合制成最好的模具石膏。

Around 1558 CE Cellini extended these works to a full autobiography, not the first by a European artist but perhaps one of the most exaggerated. In this never-completed work, the artist claims, for example, to have killed the Duke of Bourbon during the 1527 CE Sack of Rome by rebels from the army of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (r. 1519-1556 CE). Despite these boasts, the work does contain some frank assessments, and Cellini was an eyewitness to the events in Rome. The sculptor was even involved in melting down papal treasures in preparation for an evacuation of the Vatican Palace.

          大约在公元1558年，切利尼将这些作品扩展为一本完整的自传，这不是欧洲艺术家的第一本自传，但可能是最夸张的一本。在这部从未完成的作品中，艺术家声称在公元1527年神圣罗马帝国皇帝查理五世（公元1519-1556年）的军队的叛军洗劫罗马期间，他杀死了波旁公爵。尽管有这些吹嘘，但作品中确实有一些坦率的评价，而且切利尼是罗马事件的目击者。这位雕塑家甚至参与了熔化教皇宝藏的工作，为梵蒂冈宫的撤离做准备。

Other interesting events in the artist's life include his time in Rome where he was once put in prison accused of stealing some of the Pope's jewels. Delighting in breaking society's conventions, the artist would go to parties with one of his male workshop assistants dressed as a woman or push the boundaries of good artistic taste by entirely gilding one of his followers. The autobiography reveals a fiercely independent character and a keen learner, someone who frequently found himself in fights, enjoyed fine food, and had a promiscuous sex life with both men and women. There is here, too, a man who possessed a genuine concern with presenting to the world what it means to be an artist and what it takes to produce great art.

          切利尼生活中的其他有趣事件是他在罗马逗留期间，他曾被指控偷窃教皇的一些珠宝而被关进监狱。这位艺术家乐于打破社会惯例，他与他的一位男车间助理一起打扮成女性参加聚会，或者通过为他的一位追随者完全镀金来跨越良好艺术品味的界限。这本自传揭示了他激烈的独立性格和敏锐的学习能力，他经常发现自己在打架，享受美食，并与男人和女人有淫乱的性生活。这里还有一个人，他真正关心的是如何向世界展示作为一个艺术家的意义，以及如何创作伟大的艺术。

A complex character whose best work has not survived for us to admire, the famed Renaissance historian Jacob Burckhardt gives the following summary of Cellini's character, as revealed in his autobiography:

          when the reader often detects him bragging or lying; the stamp of a mighty, energetic and thoroughly developed nature remains. By his side our modern autobiographies, though their tendency and moral character may stand much higher, appear incomplete beings. He is a man who can do all and dares do all, and who carries the measure in himself. Whether we like him or not, he lives, such as he was, as a significant type of the modern spirit. (217).

          研究欧洲艺术史与人文主义的历史学家雅各·布克哈特（Jacob Burckhardt）对切利尼的性格做了如下总结，在他的自传中，我们可以看到一个复杂的人物，他最好的作品没有被保存下来供我们欣赏：

          当读者经常发现他在吹牛或撒谎时；一个强大的、有活力的和充分发展的天性的印记仍然存在。相比之下，我们的现代自传，尽管其倾向性和道德品质可能会高得多，但似乎并不完整。他是一个什么都能做，什么都敢做，而且自带分寸的人。无论我们是否喜欢他，他都作为现代精神的一个重要例子，一如既往地存在着。(217).

参考书目：

Burckhardt, Jacob & Murray, Peter & Middlemore, S. G. C. & Burke, Peter. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy. Penguin Classics, 1990.

Campbell, Gordon. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Renaissance. Oxford University Press, 2019.

Full text of "The autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini"Accessed 24 Sep 2020.

Hale, J.R. (ed). The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of the Italian Renaissance. Thames & Hudson, 2020.

Paoletti, John T. & Radke, Gary M. Art in Renaissance Italy. Pearson, 2011.

Rundle, David. The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. Hodder Arnold, 2000.

Woods, Kim W. Making Renaissance Art. Yale University Press, 2007.

Wyatt, Michael. The Cambridge Companion to the Italian Renaissance. Cambridge University Press, 2014.

原文作者：Mark Cartwright

          驻意大利的历史作家。他的主要兴趣包括陶瓷、建筑、世界神话和发现所有文明的共同思想。他拥有政治哲学硕士学位，是《世界历史百科全书》的出版总监。

原文网址：https://www.worldhistory.org/Benvenuto_Cellini/