Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/177

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Departing from Constantinople, Gentile returned, after a most fortunate voyage, to Venice, where he was received by Giovanni, his brother, and by almost the whole city, with the utmost gladness, every one rejoicing at the honours paid to his talents by Sultan Mahomet. Proceeding on his arrival to present his duty to the Doge and the Signoria, he was very well received and commended, for that he had satisfied the Turkish emperor according to their desire. Furthermore, to the end that the great account in which they held the letters wherewith that prince had recommended him might be made manifest, they commanded a provision of 200 scudi a year to be made for him, which sum was paid him for the remainder of his life.

Gentile performed but few works after his return from Constantinople, and at length, having nearly attained to the age of 80, he passed to another life in the year 1501; and from his brother Giovanni he received honourable interment in the Church of San Giovanni e Paolo.

Thus deprived of his brother Gentile, whom he had most tenderly loved, Giovanni, although very old, still continued to work a little, the better to pass his time, and having taken to execute portraits from the life, he introduced the custom into Venice, that whoever had attained to a certain degree of eminence should cause his likeness to be portrayed, either by himself or by some other master. Wherefore, in all Venetian houses, there are numerous portraits, and in many of those belonging to nobles, may be seen the fathers and grandfathers of the possessors, up to