CELLI'NI, BENVENII'TO, a celebrated Italian gold-worker, sculptor, founder, and medailleur, remarkable not only for his skill as an artist, but also for his checkered life, was b. at Florence in the year 1500, and first displayed skill as a chaser and gold worker. His autobiography is a remarkably curious and interesting work, presenting us with a complete picture of the author's life and character; his activity, his extraordi nary weaknesses, the impetuosity of his passions, the perilous circumstances in which his quarrelsome disposition placed him (for C. thought nothing of committing man slaughter in a moment of rage), and the ludicrous vanity and credulity which are never absent from him. The book is also of great value in a historico-social point of view, but does not impress us favorably in regard either to the personal or social morals of the time.
At an early period, having been banished from Florence in consequence of an "affray," C. went to Rome, where he was employed by many distinguished patrons of art, but afterwards was allowed to return to Florence. Another "affray" compelled him to flee to Rome a second time, where he secured the favor of Clement VII. C., by his own account, was as great in arms as in art; he declares that it was himself who killed thd constable Bourbon and the prince of Orange at the siege of Rome. His reck
less conduct for some years compelled his constant shifting between Rome and Florence, Mantua, and Naples. In 1537, he went to the court of France, where he was very hon orably received. Illness, however, induced Jilin to return yet once more to Rome, where he had the misfortune to be imprisoned on a charge of plundering the treasures in the castle of St. Angelo during the siege of Rome. At length he was liberated, through the intercession of the cardinal of Ferrara, for whom he executed, out of gratitude, a fine cup, and various other works. He now accompanied his deliverer to France, and entered the service of Francis I.; but having incurred the displeasure of the rulino. favorite, Mme. d'Estampes, he returned to Florence—not, however, until, as usual, he had settled some matters with his " sword"—where, under the patronage of Cosmo de' Medici, he executed several flue works in metal and marble—among them, the cele brated bronze group of " Perseus with the Head of Medusa," now in the market-place in Florence. Among other preserved works of C., the splendid shield in Windsor castle may be noticed. In his 58th year he began to write his autobiography, and died in 1570 or 1572. In 1876, a number of C.'s original papers were found.