gave Jacopo, who already perceived the eminence which his disciple was eventually to acquire, the most lively satisfaction.
About the same time, or no long time afterwards, Ludovico di Gino Capponi returned to Florence from Rome, and having purchased that chapel in the church of Santa Felicita, which the Barbadori family had formerly caused to be constructed by Filippo di Ser Brunellesco, and which is situate near the entrance of the church on the right hand,—Ludovico, I say, determined to have all the ceiling covered with paintings; he furthermore resolved to have an altar-piece with a rich ornament or frame-work. Wherefore, having conferred respecting that matter with Messer Niccolò Vespucci, who was a Knight of Rhodes, and the most intimate friend of Capponi, the knight, as being also the very good friend of Puntormo, did and said so much respecting the worth and ability of that excellent man, that Ludovico was induced to give Jacopo the commission for the work. Having erected an enclosure accordingly, by which the chapel was kept closed during three years, the master commenced his operations. In the ceiling of the chapel he delineated a figure of God the Father, surrounded by those of four Patriarchs, all which are very fine.[1] In the four medallions which decorate the corbels of the ceiling he then painted figures of the four Evangelists, executing three of these entirely with his own hand, but confiding the fourth to Bronzino. And here I will not neglect the opportunity of mentioning, that Puntormo would very rarely permit himself to be assisted by his young men, nor would he even suffer them to lay hands on a work which he intended to execute himself; but it was his custom, when he desired to avail himself of the aid of any one of them, or wished them to have the opportunity of learning any thing, to let them do the whole by themselves, as he here caused Bronzino to do.
Now in the works executed by Puntormo up to this time for the chapel of Santa Felicita, he appears to have almost entirely returned to his old manner, but he did not continue to maintain that manner for the altar-piece; on the contrary, his head running on new things, he painted the figures with-
- ↑ The central picture of the ceiling in this chapel was destroyed in the year 1766, when the upper choir of the church was enlarged.
