Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/233

Rh

In the proconsolate, where the portraits of Zanobi da Strada, a Florentine poet, of Donato Acciaiuoli, and of others, had before been painted by other masters, Antonio portrayed Messer Poggio, secretary to the Signoria of Florence, and who continued the Florentine history after the death of Messer Leonardo d’Arezzo; with Messer Giannozzo Manetti, a man of considerable learning, and held in much esteem; both taken from the life. For the chapel of the Pucci in the church of San Sebastian of the Servites, Antonio painted the altar-piece—a remarkable and admirably executed work, with numerous horses, many undraped figures, and singularly beautiful foreshortenings. This picture likewise contains the portrait of St. Sebastian himself, taken from the life—from the face of Gino di Ludovico Capponi, that is —the painting has been more extolled than any other ever executed by Antonio. He has evidently copied nature in this work to the utmost of his power, as we perceive more particularly in one of the archers, who, bending towards the earth, and resting his weapon against his breast, is employing all the force of a strong arm to prepare it for action; the veins are swelling, the muscles strained, and the man holds his breath as he applies all his strength to the effort. Nor is this the only figure executed Avith care; all the others are likewise well done, and in the diversity of their attitudes give clear proof of the artist’s ability and of the labour bestowed by him on his work; all which was fully acknowledged by Antonio Pucci, who gave him three hundred scudi for the picture, declaring at the same time that he was barely paying him for the colours. This Avork was completed in the year 1475 | The courage of Antonio was increased by this circumstance, and in San Miniato-frale-Torri, without the gate, he painted a St. Christopher ten braccia high—a work admirably executed in the modern manner, the figure being more correctly proportioned than