Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/84

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lives of the artists.

that vocation. On this point indeed, there is no artist who has ever hoped, to surpass him, whether we consider the beauty or the vast number and grace of the figures.[1] A large variety of exceedingly beautiful windows by his hand, may be found in different parts of the city, among others, that of Santa Maria delle Lagrime, the large rose window namely, with the Assumption of the Virgin and the figures of the Apostles; there is also a very beautiful Annunciation[2] by this master on another window of the same church.

A circular window, wherein there is the Marriage of the Virgin, with a second representing San Girolamo, were likewise painted by the Prior for the Church of the Spadari, he also executed three more in the same place, but the latter being for the lower church.[3] For the Church of San Girolamo he painted a rose window, with the birth of Christ very beautifully delineated, as he did likewise another for the Church of San Rocco.

Many of the works of this master, were sent into other cities also, as for example to Castiglione del Lago; he likewise sent certain specimens to Florence, to Ludovico Capponi; one of these was for the Church of Santa Felicita, wherein there is a picture by the eminent painter, Jacopo da Pontormo, with a chapel, also painted by the last named artist, with mural pictures in oil, as well as in fresco, and decorated with others on panel, also by the hand of Jacopo.[4] This window of Santa Felicita fell into the hands of the Frati Ingesuati, who executed many works of that kind in Florence,

  • and by them it was taken to pieces, to the end that they

might ascertain the processes by which it was accomplished; they even carried off numerous pieces, by way of patterns for themselves, for which they substituted new ones; nay, by these practices they ultimately changed the work to so great an extent, that it became quite a different thing from what it had originally been.

  1. The window of San Francesco still remains 'in excellent preservation. —Ed. Flor. 1832 -8.
  2. The Assumption is still in its place, but the Annunciation is no longer to be seen.— Ibid.
  3. These works also have disappeared.— Ibid.
  4. This window is now in the private chapel of the Capponi family, at their palace of the Rovinate. It is in good preservation, and represents the bearing of Christ to the tomb. —Ibid.