Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/138

130 In the same place, Antonio executed a picture in relief, representing the Nativity of Christ (the Presepio), a choir of rejoicing angels float over the rude building, and these, singing, with parted lips, are finished in such a manner that they seem to breathe, nay, to all their movements and expressions, Antonio imparted so much grace and refinement that genius and the chisel could produce nothing in marble to surpass this work. For these qualities the works of Antonio Eossellino have alwavs been held in the highest esteem by Michael Angelo, and are ever considered more than excellent by every other artist. In the capitular church of Empoli, this master produced a figure in marble, of San Bastiano, which is held to be a very beautiful thing, and of this we have a drawing by his own hand in our book, where we have likewise all the architectural details and figures of the before-mentioned chapel of San Miniato al Monte, with the portrait of Antonio Piossellino himself. Antonio died in Florence at the age of forty-six, leaving a brother, also an architect and sculptor, called Bernardo. This artist executed the marble monument erected in the church of Santa Croce, to Messer Lionardo Bruni, of Arezzo, who wrote the History of Florence, and was a very learned man, as all the world knows. Bernardo was much esteemed for his ability in architecture by Pope Nicholas V., who, besides, valued him greatly, and employed him in many