Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/216

202 such as bishoprics, cardinalates, and deaneries; they have besides been frequently clerks of the pontifical chamber, and received the most honoured orders of knighthood. All which descendants of Taddeo, of whatever degree, have constantly esteemed and favoured the followers of the fine arts, more particularly those devoted to sculpture and painting, whom they have ever protected and aided to the utmost of their power.

At the age of fifty Taddeo was attacked by violent fever, and departed from this life in the year 1350, leaving two sons, Agnolo and Giovanni, who both devoted themselves to painting, and whom he recommended to the care of Jacopo of Casentino and Giovanni of Milan, entreating the first to guard their morals and manners, but requiring the last to instruct them in matters of art. This Giovanni executed many works after the death of Taddeo, among others a picture which was placed in the church of Santa Croce, on the altar of San Gherardo da Villamagna, fourteen years after the death of Taddeo. The painting on the high altar of Ognissanti, where the brotherhood of the Umiliati have their seat, is likewise by his hand, and was considered extremely fine; in Assisi also, Giovanni da Milano painted a picture for the tribune of the high altar, a crucifix namely, with the Virgin and Santa Clara. On the front and side walls of the apsis he painted stories from the life of Our Lady. He afterwards repaired to Milan, in which city he produced many works both in distemper and fresco, and where he ultimately died.

Of Taddeo, then, it may be observed that he constantly adhered to the manner of Giotto, but we cannot affirm that he greatly improved that manner, except in the colouring, to which he gave more freshness and animation than had been exhibited by Giotto; the latter had so diligently laboured to overcome the difficulties and ameliorate the methods of proceeding in other departments of the art, that although he gave some attention to this also, yet the grace of attaining