point. He has represented the Saint as in some degree recovered from the pain which he had suffered from the ulcer occasioned by the plague;[1] and this he makes manifest by raising his head towards heaven in the act of giving thanks to God, as good men do when rising from the adversities with which they have been afflicted. This picture Francesco painted for a certain Fabbrizio of Milan, whom he has portrayed from the life therein; a half-length figure, which rather looks like one alive than a mere painting, as does a dog, which is in like manner a part of the work; there is, besides, a landscape, which is admirable, this master being more particularly excellent in that branch of the art.[2]
For the physician Albio, who was a native of Parma, Francesco painted a Conversion of St. Paul, with a landscape and numerous figures. This also is a work of great merit. For his friend the saddler, he painted another of extraordinary beauty; the principal figure is a Madonna, seen in profile, the attitude of which is very graceful: and there are, besides, several other figures. Our artist likewise painted a picture for the Count Giorgio Manzuoli, with two in watercolours on cloth for Maestro Luca di Leuti; these exhibit numerous figures of very small size, all very graceful and well executed.[3] One morning about this time, Francesco was still in bed, when the above-mentioned Antonio of Trent, who was with him, as we have said, for the purpose of executing engravings, having opened a certain chest belonging to Francesco, ruthlessly robbed him of all the copper-plates, prints, engravings on wood, and drawings that he possessed, wherewith this Antonio then departed; and he must have taken himself fairly to the devil, seeing that no nevfs was ever heard of him from that time forward. Happily Francesco did recover the plates; for these Antonio had left with a friend of his own in Bologna, proposing to reclaim them perhaps at some more convenient time; but of the drawings he
- ↑ For the legend of this saint, and for this incident in particular, see Mrs. Jameson, Poetry of Sacred and Legendary Art, vol. ii. p. 35.
- ↑ This work is still in the chapel as above-named. Ludovico Caracci made a copy of it of the size of the original, and it was engraved on copper by Bricci. —Masselli.
- ↑ No information can now be obtained respecting these works.—Förster.
