Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/421

Rh day examining that work with Michael Angelo Buonarotti, when he praised it very highly, remarking at the same time that the two personages depicted had both lived in Masaccio’s day. Whilst this master was in Rome he was appointed to adorn the walls of the church of San Giovanni in that city, Pisanello and Gentile da Fabriano being also employed by Pope Martin to decorate the walls of the same edifice with their paintings. But Masaccio having received intelligence that Cosmo de’ Medici, from whom he had received favour and protection, had been recalled from exile, again repaired to Florence; there, Masolino da Panicale being dead, Masaccio was appointed to continue the paintings of the Brancacci chapel, in the church of the Carmine, left unfinished, as we have said, by the death of Masolino. Before entering on this work, our artist painted, as if by way of specimen, and to show to what extent he had ameliorated his art, that figure of St.Paul which stands near the place of the bell-ropes; and it is certain that the master displayed great excellence in this work; for the figure of the saint, which is the portrait of Bartolo di Angiolino Angiolini, taken from the life, has something in it so impressive, and is so beautiful and lifelike, that it seems to want nothing but speech; insomuch that he who has not known St. Paul has but to look at this picture, when he will at once behold the noble deportment of him who conjoined the Roman culture and eloquence with that invincible force which distinguished the exalted and devout character of this apostle, whose every care and thought were given to the affairs of the faith. In this picture Masaccio also afforded farther proof of his mastery over the difficulties of foreshortening: the powers of this artist as regards that point were indeed truly wonderful, as may be seen even now in the feet of this apostle, where he has overcome the difficulty in a manner that may well be admired, when we consider the rude ancient fashion of placing all the figures on the points