Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/228

220 could not be any addition to my honour, whereas if thou shouldest conquer me it must be to my perpetual shame.” Having then told Messer Baldo that he would do well to give the work to Niccolo, since he would be sure to do it in such a manner as would please the people going to market, Andrea returned to Florence.

He then received a commission to paint a picture for Pistoja, and which was to be placed in a church dedicated to the Madonna, and called Sant’ Agnesa, which is situate close to the wall of that city, between the old citadel and the cathedral. This work was divided into five compartments, in each of which the master depicted a single figure, St. John the Baptist and St. Peter namely, who are placed one on each side of the Madonna of Sant’ Agnesa, which is one of those that work miracles; with St. Catherine the Martyr, St. Agnesa, and St. Margaret: the last named figures being so remarkable for their beauty, that they awaken astonishment in all who behold them, and are considered to be the most graceful and most admirable female figures ever painted by this master.

Now, it chanced that Messer Jacopo, a Monk of the Servites, had commanded a woman, whom he had absolved from a vow, to cause a figure of Our Lady to be painted over the side-door of the Nunziata, which leads into the cloister, by way of commutation: meeting with Andrea, therefore, the monk told him that having this money to spend and there being but little of it, he thought it would be well if he, who had already obtained so much reputation by the works which he had executed in that place, would undertake this also, rather than suffer it to be done by others: to