Page 149 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

Messer Forese da Rabatta was short, deformed, flat-cheeked, and flat- painter in the world?" Giotto promptly replied, "Methinks, Sir, he might,
nosed. No Baroncio had a visage so misshapen that his would not have if, scanning you, he gave you credit for knowing the A B C." Hearing this,
appeared hideous beside it. Yet, this man was so knowledgeable about Messer Forese recognized his error and realized he had received as good
the laws that many who were well able to form an opinion considered as he had given.
him a veritable storehouse of civil jurisprudence. The other, named Giotto,
was of such excellent wit that whatever Nature, mother of all, fashioned,
he could depict with his style, pen, and pencil so that it appeared not as
its likeness but as the thing itself. The visual sense of men often erred, The Sixth Day | The Sixth Novell
mistaking his paintings for reality. Having revived an art that had long been
Storyteller: Fiammetta
buried beneath the blunders of those who painted to delight the ignorant
rather than satisfy the wise, he deservedly became one of the lights that Michiele Scalza convinces a group of young men that the Baronci
compose the glory of Florence. His humility only added to his glory, for family, known for the extraordinary ugliness of its men, are
though he was the master of others, he refused to be called their master. the most noble gentlemen in the world and the Maremma. As
This title, which he rejected, adorned him with a more splendid luster, in a result, he wins a good supper. So it came to pass that any
contrast to those who usurped it with avidity. grotesque or extremely ugly man was called a Baroncio.

Despite the greatness of his art, Giotto had no advantage over Messer
Forese in form or feature. But to come to the story: both Messer Forese and
Giotto had country estates in Mugello. Returning from a summer sojourn,
Messer Forese, mounted on a poor draught horse, met Giotto, who was
also on his way back to Florence after a similar stay on his estate. Giotto
was neither better mounted nor better equipped than Messer Forese.
Being both old men, they jogged on together at a slow pace. Surprised
by a sudden summer shower, they sought shelter in the house of a
husbandman known to both of them. After a while, as the rain showed no
sign of stopping and they wanted to be in Florence that day, they borrowed
two old cloaks of Romagnole cloth and two hats much the worse for age
from the husbandman and resumed their journey.

They had not gone far when they noticed they were soaked through and 1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
splashed with mud from their horses' hooves. These circumstances did
not add to their dignity. After a long silence, as the sky began to brighten,
they started to converse. Messer Forese, listening to Giotto, who was an
excellent talker, surveyed him sideways, from head to foot, and all over.
Seeing him in such sorry and scurvy trim, and not considering his own Not long ago, there lived in our city a young man named Michele Scalza,
appearance, Messer Forese laughed and said, "Giotto, would a stranger the pleasantest and merriest fellow in the world, and the best storyteller.
who met us and had not seen you before believe that you are the greatest For this reason, the Florentine youth valued having him with them when
they gathered. One day, while he was with a group of them at Mont' Ughi,
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The Decameron