his house at Murano; and in company with Marco, his son, he decorated the inner court of the same with historical representations in chiaro-scuro, which are exceedingly beautiful.[1] In competition with Paolo Veronese, Battista then painted a large apartment in the vsame house, and this was so beautiful that it gained him great honour as well as advantage.[2]
This master performed many works in miniature, and last of all, a singularly beautiful one representing Sant’ Eustachio in the act of Adoring Our Lord, who has appeared to him between the horns of the hind; two dogs which are near the Saint are so finely done, that nothing can possibly be more perfect; there is besides a landscape with numerous trees, which, receding into the distance and gradually diminishing, is a work of extraordinary beauty. This production has been highly extolled by the many persons who have seen it, but more particularly by Danese da Carrara, who saw it when he was at Verona busied with the works of the chapel of the Signori Fregosi, an edifice distinguished among all that is most beautiful in Italy. Danese, I say then, having seen this performance, remained lost in astonishment at the perfection of its beauty, and exhorted the above-named Fra Marco de’ Medici, his old and particular friend, on no account to suffer such a treasure to slip through his fingers, but at once to secure and place it among the many valuable examples of all the arts which he has in his possession. Whereupon Battista, having heard that the before-mentioned Fra Marco had a wish for the work, and knowing the friendship which he had entertained for his father-in-law, presented him with the same, and compelled him, so to speak, to accept that gift, Danese being present at the time. The good father was not ungrateful for so much courtesy on the part of Battista, but since that master and his son Marco are both still living and continue their works, I will say nothing more of them for the present.
Il Moro had another disciple, called Orlando Fiacco,[3] who
