Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/290

276 admirable, that he made wonderful progress in a very short time. Lippo commenced his labours in Florence, at San Benedetto, a large and handsome convent, now in ruins, belonging to the order of Camaldoli, and situated beyond the gate which opens on the road to Pinti. Here he executed many figures which were considered exceedingly beautiful i one chapel, more particularly, painted entirely by his hand, was held to be very fine, and served to demonstrate the great results that may be obtained by the conscientious labours of him who adds earnest study to his desire of fame and glory. From Florence this artist was invited to Arezzo, where he decorated the chapel of the Magi, in the church of Sant’ Antonio, in fresco, representing the Adoration of the Infant Christ by the Kings, in a very large picture. In the cathedral also, Lippo painted the chapel of San Jacopo and San Cristofano, for the family of the Ubertini; and all these works, whether for the invention displayed in the composition of the stories, or for the colouring, were extremely beautiful. In particular it may be said of this master, that he was the first who began to sport, so to speak, with the figures, and to arouse or awaken, in this sense, the spirits and minds of those who came after him, a thing which not only had never been done before his time, but had never even been indicated or apparently thought of. Having at a latter period executed many works in Bologna, with a picture in Pistoja, which was tolerably good, Lippo returned to Florence, where, in the year 1383, he painted different events from the life of St. John the Evangelist, in the chapel of the Beccuti, in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. On the wall beside this chapel—which is to the left of the principal chapel—there follow six stories from the life of the same saint, also by Lippo. This work is extremely well composed, and the figures are ingeniously arranged. Among other things may be specified a St. John, who causes his own vestment to be placed over certain dead bodies by St. Dionysius the Areopagite, when the dead all return to life at the name of Jesus Christ, to the unspeakable astonishment of those who are present, and who can with difficulty believe their own eyes. Some of these figures of the dead also display very extraordinary ability