Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/461

Rh is bold and free, nor is it possible to imagine anything more life-like than this group: a circle of saints, receding in perspective on each side, disappears within the depth of a large recess, and this train of figures is arranged with so much ability that they seem to be real. It is obvious, that in the colouring of this work Bartolommeo has closely imitated the paintings of Leonardo da Yinci, more particularly in the shadows, for which he has used printer’s smoke or printer’s black, and the black of burnt ivory or ivory-black. These two blacks have caused the picture to darken greatly, they having constantly become deeper, so that the work is now much heavier in the shadows than it was when first painted. Before the principal figures in this picture there is a San Giorgio in armour, bearing a standard in his hand, an imposing, powerful, and life-like figure, the attitude of which is very fine. No less worthy of praise is the San Bartolommeo standing upright in the same work; and equally excellent are two children seated, the one playing on a lute, the other on a lyre, the first of these has his leg raised and bent, he is supporting his instrument thereon, and his fingers move the strings in the act of playing: the ear is bent in rapt attention to the harmony, the head is turned upwards, and the mouth is slightly opened, with so life-like an effect, that while looking at it, the spectator cannot persuade himself that he does not hear the sound of the voice. The other child, leaning on one side, bends his ear to the lyre, and seems to be listening intently, with the purpose of marking the degree of its accord with the lute and voice: occupied with his efforts to bring his instrument into harmony with that melody, he has his eyes riveted to the ground, and turns the ear attentively towards his companion, who is singing and playing. All these varied expressions are rendered with much ingenuity; the children are both sitting, as we have said, and are clothed in veils, every part is admirably executed by the able hand of Fra Bartolommeo, and the whole work comes out most harmoniously from its dark shadows,

A short time after the completion of this picture, our artist painted another, which is also considered a good one;