Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/164

156 the ceiling in the church of Sant’ Agata; the front of the church of Sant’ Antonio, with some pictures in the church, and other paintings executed by his hand, made him known as a good and experienced master. If death had not taken this artist from the world before the time, he would, without doubt, have produced most honourable works, seeing that he had commenced in the right manner: and even those which he has been permitted to leave us render him well worthy of a memorial.

Returning to Boccaccino, it is to be remarked that he passed from this life in the fifty-eighth year of his age, without having effected any amelioration in the art. Contemporary with him, was a tolerably competent miniature painter, called Girolamo, of Milan, in which city, and in other places, many of his works may be seen. About the same time, lived Bernardino del Lupino, who was also a Milanese; this artist was an exceedingly delicate and very pleasing painter ! as may be seen by many works from his hand, which are still in that city. At Sarone, also, a place about twelve miles from Milan, there is a Marriage of Our Lady by this master, which is admirably executed, as are certain historical pictures in the church of Santa Maria, which are most perfectly painted in fresco.

Bernardino worked extremely well in oil also; he was a most obliging person, friendly and liberal in all his actions. To him, therefore, is deservedly due all the praise which belongs of right to those artists who do themselves no less honour by the courtesy of their manners, and the excellence of their lives, than by the distinction to which they attain in art.