Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/212

204 beautiful maidens of the same family, whose names I have not been able to discover, all wearing the dress and ornaments of that time, a circumstance which imparts no small pleasure to the beholder. On the vaulted ceiling of the chapel are four Sybils, and on the external wall is the story of the Tiburtine Sybil, by whom the Emperor Octavian is induced to worship Christ; a fresco of admirable execution, and exhibiting an animation of colouring which is very charming. To these works Domenico added a picture in tempera, wherein is the Nativity of Christ, painted in such a manner as to astonish every one who is conversant with art; in this work is the portrait of the master himself, with certain heads of'shepherds, which are considered wonderfully fine. In our book we have drawings of the Sybil, and of some other parts of that work, most admirably executed in chiaro-scuro; we have also the perspective exhibiting the bridge of Santa Trinità.

For the Brotherhood of the Ingesuati, Domenico painted the altar-piece of the high altar with various Saints kneeling around the Virgin, San Giusto, bishop of Volterra namely, titular saint of that church; San Zanobi, Bishop of Florence; the Angel Raphael, San Michele, in magnificent armour, with some others; and of a truth Domenico merits praise for this work, seeing that he was the first who attempted to imitate borderings and ornaments of gold with colours, which had, up to that time, not been the custom. But Domenico did away in a great measure with those flourishes and scrolls formed with gypsum or bole and gold, which were better suited to the decorating of tapestry or hangings, than to the paintings of good masters. But more beautiful than any of the other figures is that of Our Lady, who has the Child in her arms, and four little Angels around