San Benedotto, a most beautiful monastry situate without the Pinti Gate, there were many pictures by Andrea dal Castagno, both in the church and convent, but of these I need make no further mention, since they were destroyed in the siege of Florence. In the city itself, and in the monastery belonging to the Monaci degli Angeli, Andrea dal Castagno painted a Crucifix (which is still there), in the first cloister, and opposite to the principal door, with Our Lady, San Giovanni, San Benedetto, and San Romualdo:[1] and at the end of the cloister which is above the kitchen-garden, he painted another, nearly similar, the heads only, with a few other smaller particulars, being slightly varied.[2]
In the church of Santa Trinita, near the chapel of Maestro Luca,[3] this artist painted a Sant’ Andrea.[4] For Pandolfo Pandolfini, he depicted certain illustrious persons in one of the halls of his palace at Legnara.[5] And for the Brother-
- ↑ This work was for many years believed to have perished, but a certain Fra Lorenzo, a lay brother and lover of the fine arts, perceivirig them to be only whitened over, set himself diligently to remove the covering and restored them to the light of day. From the various changes made in thp edifice, the place where this painting is to be seen, has now become one oi the rooms of the Chancery. In the Etruria Pittrice will be found an engraving of this work, plate xxii.—Masselli.
- ↑ This work is totally lost.
- ↑ See Richa, Chiese Fiorentine, vol. iii. pp. 66, 67.
- ↑ In the Florentine edition of Vasari, published 1771, there is a note to the effect that this work might still be seen, but that is no longer the case. It has perhaps disappeared under the brush of a white-washer.
- ↑ All the earlier editions of Vasari speak of these paintings as lost, but the latest Florentine edition has a note to the following effect:—The villa now belongs to the Marchese Rinuccini. The first writer who men*tions the work is the priest Francesco Albertini, who speaks of the beautiful Halls of Pandolfo Pandolfini, decorated by the hand of Andreino, with ‘sybils and famous men of Florence.’ After Vasari no writer named them, and this silence caused it to be believed that they were lost, but having been informed by our friend, the artist Emilio Burci, that they were still in existence, we proceeded to visit the place for the purpose of affording correct information to our readers concerning them. Of the four walls, the paintings on one only remain untouched, those of the other three are whitewashed or perhaps destroyed. In the upper part of the wall are figured six men and three women, all eminent persons, placed within a sort of square niche, supported by pilasters painted in perspective with much judgment. The figures are four braccia high, they stand upright, are clothed according to the grade and condition of each, and display a knowledge of designs and force of execution, which justify the remark of Vasari. The first of
