Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/300

286 work was executed by him with so much care, and was held in such esteem on account of the place it occupied, that Taddeo was not only largely remunerated by the signoria, but greatly increased his fame and glory thereby. As a further consequence of this success, he was appointed to paint numerous pictures in his own country, to his infinite honour and profit. He was, moreover, invited with great favour by Francesco da Carrara, signor of Padua, to perform certain works in that most noble city: Francesco having requested the presence and aid of the artist from the Signoria of Siena. Taddeo repaired to Padua accordingly, where he executed various pictures and other works, more particularly in the Arena and the Santo, all which he completed very carefully, to his own honour and the satisfaction of Francesco, as well as that of the whole city Having then returned to Tuscany, he painted a picture in distemper in San Gimignano, and this work is very much in the manner of Ugolino Sanese; it is now behind the high altar of the capitular church, and faces the choir of the priests. Taddeo afterwards proceeded to Siena, but did not remain there long, having been invited to Pisa by one of the Lanfranchi family, who was then warden of the Duomo; he consequently proceeded thither, and painted a fresco in the chapel of the Annunciation, wherein he depicted the Virgin ascending the steps of the temple; the priest, in robes of ceremony, awaits her at the summit. This work is very gracefully done, and in the head of the priest our artist has given the portrait of the aforesaid warden, with his own likeness in the figure standing near him. Having completed this picture, Taddeo was commissioned by the same warden to paint a Coronation of the Virgin, over the chapel of the Campo Santo. Numerous angels are round the throne, in beautiful attitudes, and the colouring of the whole is very fine.