Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/116

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But to return to Vittore Pisano, the short notice of him which we have given above was written by us without further addition, when this our book was printed for the first time, because we had not then been furnished with those details respecting this excellent master, nor obtained that knowledge of his works which we have since procured. But from notices supplied by the very reverend and most learned Father, Fra Marco de’Medici, of Verona, of the Order of Friars-Preachers, as well as from what is related by Biondo da Forli, where he speaks of Verona, in his Italia Illustrata, we learn that Vittore Pisano was fully equal to any of the painters of his time, and of this we have ample proof in the works which, in addition to those enumerated above, may still be seen in his native place, the most noble city of Verona; although many of them are in part destroyed by time. Pisano took especial pleasure in the delineation of animals, and in the chapel of the Pellegrini family, which is in the church of Sant’ Anastasia, at Verona, he depicted a figure of Sant’ Eustachio, who is caressing a dog, spotted, dun-colour and white, which, with its feet raised and supported against the leg of the saint, turns its head backward, as if it had heard some noise, and this it does with so much animation, that a living dog could not do it better. Beneath this figure of Sant’ Eustachio is the name of Pisano, who was accustomed to call himself sometimes Pisano, and sometimes Pisanello, as may be seen on the pictures and medals by his hand. After having completed the picture of Sant’ Eustachio, which is among the best ever executed by this master, and is, indeed, most beautiful, Vittore painted the whole external front of the chapel, and on the inner side he depicted a St. George, in white, or rather silver armour, a costume adopted for that saint in those times, not by him only, but by all other painters. In this work, St. George, having slain the dragon, is replacing his sword in the scabbard, he raises his right hand, which holds the sword, the point whereof is already in the scabbard, and lowering the left, that the increased distance may facilitate the descent of the weapon, which is a long one, he does this with so much grace, and in so life-like a