Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/127

Rh, at Florence, where it is kept in the cell of the prior, together with a most exquisite picture by , as a rare and valuable relic of the master. A chapel and four pictures were painted by Giotto, for the fraternity of the Umiliati d’Ognissanti, in Florence ; among these works, is a figure of the, with a large crucifix on panel, the design of which last being taken by Puccio Capanna, he executed great numbers in the same manner (having intimate knowledge of Giotto’s method), which were afterwards scattered through all Italy. When this book of the Lives of the Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, was first published, there was a small picture in distemper, in the transept of the church belonging to the Umiliati, which had been painted by Giotto with infinite care. The subject was the, with the Apostles around her, and with the figure of Christ, who receives her soul into his arms. This work has been greatly prized by artists, and was above all valued by, who declared, as we have said before, that nothing in painting could be nearer to the life than this was, and it rose still higher in the general estimation after these Lives had appeared ; but has since been carried away from the church, perhaps from love of art and respect to the work, which may have seemed to the robber to be not sufficiently reverenced, who thus out of piety became impious, as our poet saith. It may with truth be called a miracle, that Giotto attained to so great an excellence of manner, more particu-