Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/262

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This artist constructed the chapel of the Marchese di Vico, in the church of San Giovanni Carhonaro at Naples, which has the form of a circular temple divided bj columns, between which are various niches, and comprising several tombs which are sculptured with much care. The altar table in that chapel is decorated wkh a mezzo-rilievo by the hand of a Spanish sculptor, which represents the Magi oifering their adoration to the divine Child; and in emulation of this, Girolamo Santacroce executed a figure of San Giovanni in full relief, which was placed in one of the niches, and gave ample proof that the Neapolitan was not inferior to the Spaniard, whether in boldness or judgment.

Now at that time the sculptor Giovanni da Nola was held in high estimation by the Neapolitans, who considered him their best master in his vocation; he was already well advanced in years and had executed a large number of works in that city, where it is very much the custom to construct chapels and carve pictures in marble. Girolamo Santacroce was nevertheless not afraid to enter into competition with Giovanni, and undertook to erect a chapel in the church of Monte Oliveto in Naples, that immediately vrithin the door of entrance into the church namely, and on the left hand, while Giovanni was to construct another exactly opposite and of similar design. In his chapel therefore, Girolamo executed a figure of the Virgin in full relief and of the size of life; this is a work of acknowledged beauty, and the master has given infinite pains to the execution of the hands, the draperies, and other parts, perforating the marble in certain places and finishing the whole to such perfection that the general opinion declared him to have surpassed all who up to that time had used irons on marble in the city of Naples. The figure of the Madonna here in question is erected between those of San Giovanni and San Pietro, which have also great merit, evincing much judgment, and being executed § T