Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/207

Rh of that saint on days of high solemnity, or sometimes in other places, as a rare and valuable thing.

While Gherardo was thus occupied, there were brought to Florence certain engravings after the German manner, by Martino and Albert Durer; w'hen, being much pleased with that kind of engraving, Gherardo himself took the graver in hand, and copied some of those plates most admirably, as may be seen from certain specimens which are in our book, together with various designs by the same artist. Gherardo painted many pictures, which were despatched to distant places; one of these is at Bologna, in the church of San Domenico; it was placed in the chapel of Santa Caterina of Siena, (representing that saint,) and is most beautifully painted. In San Marco at Florence, this master painted the lunette above the Table of Indulgences with small figures of much grace. But the more entirely he satisfied others by his works, the less could Gherardo satisfy himself with them, mosaic only excepted, and in this kind of painting he was rather the rival and competitor than the companion or associate of Domenico Ghirlandajo; nay, Gherardo would have become most excellent in that department of art if he had lived longer, since he spared no pains and had made himself master of most of the useful secrets and processes connected therewith. Some affirm that Attavante, otherwise Vante, a Florentine painter in minature, of whom we have before spoken more than once, was a disciple of Gherardo, as was also Stefano, likewise a Florentine minature painter; but I feel persuaded, from the circumstance of both living at the same time, that Attavante was rather the friend and companion of Gherardo than his disciple. The latter died when considerably advanced in years, leaving all his possessions in art to his disciple, Stefano. And this Stefano, having devoted himself no long time after to architecture, abandoned every thing belonging