Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/430

422 who preserves it in memory of Piero di Cosimo, in whose singular caprices he has always taken much pleasure.

The superintendent of the Foundling Hospital was a great friend of Piero’s, and, desiring to have a picture painted for the chapel of the Pugliese family, which is near the entrance of the church, on the left hand, he gave the commission for that work to Piero, who completed it at his leisure. But long before the work was brought to that consummation, the painter had well-nigh driven the superintendent to desperation, for on no condition would he permit the latter to have a sight of the work until the whole was finished. This refusal seemed all the more extraordinary to the superintendent, not only because of the friendship existing between them, but also because he was constantly paying money to the master on account of the work. At length he declared, in his vexation, that he would pay no more until he had seen the work; but Piero threatening to destroy all that he had done, the superintendent was compelled to give him the remainder of the sum due to him, and, although more displeased than ever, had no remedy for it but to take patience until the completion of the work, in which there is certainly much that merits commendation.

For one of the chapels in the church of San Pietro Gattolini, this master painted a Madonna seated, with four figures standing around her, and two angels in the air above, who are placing a crown on her head. This work Piero executed with great care, and it obtained him much commendation and honour: it is now in the church of San Friano, that of San Pietro Gattolini having been demolished. In the cross aisle of the church of San Francesco, at Fiesole also, there is a picture of the Conception by Piero di Cosimo: this little work is a tolerably good one, the figures rather small.