Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/208

194 vites, he decorated the chapel of San Niccolo, which belongs to the Palagi, with stories from the life of that saint. In one of these he has proved himself well acquainted with the fury of a stormy sea, and the force of tempests, by the judicious and effective manner in which he has depicted a barque tossed on the waves: the mariners are casting forth their merchandise to lighten the ship, while S. Nicholas, appearing in the air, delivers them from their peril. This work having given great satisfaction, and been highly praised, caused the master to be invited to paint the chapel of the high altar in the same church; he there represented stories in fresco, from the Life of Our Lady; with a picture in distemper, also of the Virgin, surrounded by many Saints, and all painted with infinite animation. In the lower part of the same picture, he represented other stories, from the Life of the Virgin, in small figures, of which I need not make more particular mention, because the whole work was destroyed in the year 1467; when Ludovico, marquis of Mantua, built the tribune, which is still there, with the choir for the monks, both erected after the design of Leon Battista Alberti. The picture was then transferred to the chapter-house of the convent, in the refectory of which, and immediately over the seats, our artist painted a Last Supper, with a Crucifixion, and various figures of saints above it. Having completed this work, the master was summoned to Pisa, where he painted the principal chapel of San Francesco, for Gherardo and Bonaccorso Gambacorti; the subject being, events from the life of the saint, with others from the lives of St. Andrew and St. Nicholas. These paintings were in fresco, and extremely well coloured. On the ceiling and fagade of the same chapel, the confirmation of the Rule of St. Francis, by Pope Honorius, is depicted; and here Taddeo himself is pourtrayed from the life, wearing a sort of hood wrapped round his head. At the foot of the painting are inscribed the following words:—