Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/56

42 since retained, although in process of time it became enclosed within the walls of the city.

In San Francesco of Pisa—where Cimabue painted some other pictures, as has been already remarked—may be seen a painting in distemper, by his hand; it is in the cloister, near the door which leads into the church, and is a small picture representing Christ on the Cross, with numerous angels around him; they are weeping, and supporting with their hands certain words, which are written round the head of Christ, and which they direct towards the ear of the Virgin, who stands, also weeping, on the right hand; while on the left is John the Evangelist, towards whom they likewise direct a portion of the scroll, and whose expression is one of deep grief. The words addressed to the Virgin are, “Mulier ecce filius tuus”, and those to St. John, “Ecce mater tua”. A third sentence, supported by another angel, placed somewhat apart, is as follows: “Ex illâ horâ accepit eam discipulus in suam”. Hence we perceive that Cimabue originated the invention of lending the aid of words to art, for the better expression of the meaning,—certainly a new and peculiar expedient.

By these and other works, Cimabue had now acquired a great name, as well as large profits, and was appointed—together with Arnolfo Lapi, an artist then highly renownedin architecture—to superintend the building of Santa Maria del Fiore, in Florence. But at length, and when he had lived sixty years, he departed to another life, in the year 1300, having achieved little less than the resurrection of painting from the dead. He left many disciples, and, among others, Giotto, who afterwards became a most eminent