but having heard of the wonderful works performed by Raffaello da Urbino, he resolved to repair to Rome, to the end that by renewed endeavours he might justify the expectations which had been formed of him. Being received into the school of Raphael, who never refused any request made by a man of good parts, he there laboured in company with many other young men devoted to the study of painting, and who emulously strove to surpass each other, in the hope of obtaining the favour of Raphael, and of securing a name in the world at the same time. Pursuing his studies without remission, Pellegrino became exceedingly skilful in design, evincing great mastery over other departments of his art likewise; and when Leo X. caused Raphael to paint the loggie, he also worked there in company with the other disciples, succeeding so well that Raphael afterwards availed himself of his services on many other occasions.
There are three figures in fresco by this master over one of the altars, near the entrance to the church of Sant’ Eustachio in Rome; and in the church which belongs to the Portuguese at the Scrofa, he painted the chapel of the high altar in fresco, and executed the altar-piece likewise.[1] The Cardinal Alborense having subsequently caused a chapel in the church of San Jacopo, which belongs to the Spanish nation, to be richly decorated with marbles, and having also placed therein a marble statue of San Jacopo, four braccia and a half high, the last a much-extolled work by Jacopo Sansovino, determined to have that chapel further decorated with paintings in fresco by Pellegrino. That master accordingly depicted events from the life of the apostle San Jacopo,[2] giving the figures an exceedingly pleasing expression, in imitation of his master Raphael, and arranging the whole composition with so much ability, that this work made Pellegrino fully known, as a man who possessed much judgment and a fine genius for painting. Having finished these works, he executed many others in
- ↑ We learn from Bottari that the fresco paintings in the church of St. Eustachius, and those in St. Anthony have been alike destroyed; respecting the Altar-piece we have not been able to obtain information of any kind.
- ↑ This picture was still in the church of the Servites, when Vedriani, Vite de Pittori, &c. Madanesi, wrote; but in the time of Tiraboschi, Notizie, &c., it had already disappeared.
