more, remarked, that if Andrea would not undertake the matter, there was Franciabigio, who had offered to accomplish the whole, for the purpose of making himself known, and was willing to leave the question of payment to him, the sacristan.
These considerations were well calculated to secure Andrea’s compliance, although he had but little mind on the whole to undertake such a charge; but the reference to Franciabigio effectually determined him, and he resolved to accept it, making an agreement in writing, to the effect that he was to have the whole, that none other might be permitted to intervene. The Monk having thus pledged him, gave him money to make the necessary preparations, requiring that he should first continue the representation of events from the life of San Filippo; but all that Andrea obtained from the sacristan was the sum of ten ducats for each picture, Fra Mariano declaring that he gave so much out of his own purse, and did all that he was doing, more for the advantage of Andrea himself than for the benefit or need of the Convent. The artist laboured, therefore, as one who thought more of his honour than of reward, and working with the utmost diligence[1] in no long time he had completed three of the stories.
These three were given to public view accordingly,[2] and in one of them Andrea was found to have depicted the circumstance of San Filippo clothing the naked, after he had taken the monastic habit. Another represented the same Saint when he was reproving certain gamesters; these men, blaspheming God and scorning the admonition of San Filippo, are making a mockery of his words, when suddenly there falls a lightning-flash from Heaven, which striking the tree under which they were seated, kills two of their number. All the rest are instantly seized with indescribable terror, some raising their hands to their heads, cast themselves in desperation to the earth, others seek safety in flight, with looks full of
- ↑ According to the Notizie delle cose memorabili della Chiesa de' Servi, in the Libro di Memorie, this work was commenced on the 16th of June, 1511.
- ↑ These earlier works have suffered more than those painted by Andrea in the same place, at a later period. All are now secured from the weather by the care of the Grand Duke Leopold II., who caused the cloister to be closed in the year 1833, by means of glass windows, furnished with curtains. The whole series was engraved by Chiari, Florence, 1832-3.
