Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/94

80 by his disciples. To these delineations, being, as they are, extremely rude, without art or design, and having nothing in them but the Greek manner of those days, I cannot give positive praise, yet they merit some commendation, when we consider the manner prevailing in those times, with the imperfect state in which the art of painting then was ; the work is, besides, carefully done, every piece of the Mosaic being well and firmly fixed. Moreover, the latter portions of this work are better, or, to speak more precisely, less badly done than the earlier parts ; although the whole, if compared with works of the present day, is better calculated to excite ridicule than admiration or pleasure. Andrea ultimately, and to his great credit, produced the Christ, seven braccia high, which is still to be seen above the principal chapel of the same building : this he completed alone, and without the aid of Apollonius. These works rendered him famous throughout Italy : he was reputed an excellent artist in his own country, and was highly honoured and rewarded. The good fortune of Andrea was really great—to be born in an age which, doing all things in the rudest manner, could value so highly the works of an artist who really merited so little, not to say nothing. The same thing occurred to, of the order of St. Francis, for he, having executed the Mosaics of the small choir, behind the altar of the same church of St. John, received very rich rewards, although the work was by no means commendable ; he was even despatched to Rome