Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/269

Rh always taken much pains to produce certain reflexes, halflights, and faint shadows, with which he would break and interrupt the relief in such sort, that the light or shadow ceasing suddenly, produced an unpleasant effect, and the colouring of all his works has been even considered harsh and displeasing, although he studied carefully and laboured hard to make art imitate nature.

There are many works by this artist in various parts of Friuli, more particularly in the city of Udine, where there is a picture in oil by his hand in the cathedral, which represents San Marco seated, with numerous figures around him. This is considered to be the best work ever executed by Giovanni * Another painting by the same artist is on the altar of Sant’ Ursula, in the church which belongs to the monks of San Pietro the Martyr; the subject is the Saint Ursula, standing upright and surrounded by certain of her Virgins, very graceful figures, with countenances of much beauty and fine expression. Giovanni was not only a very tolerable, painter, but was further endowed by nature with a graceful person and agreeable features; his manner of life was highly commendable, and his character was entirely worthy of esteem; he was so prudent and orderly in his affairs that he left considerable property, which he bequeathed to his wife, seeing that he had no sons; she was a woman, as I have heard, of prudence equal to her beauty, which was very great, and conducted herself in such a manner after the death of her husband, that she married her two singularly beautiful daughters into the richest and noblest families of Udine.

Pellegrino da San Daniello, who was a rival of Giovan Antonio Licinio, as we have said, but displayed a much higher degree of excellence in painting, received the name of Martino at his baptism; but Giovanni Bellino, being convinced that he would some day become as distinguished in art as he ultimately did, changed his name of Martino into that of Pellegrino. And as he thus received a change of name, so was there in a certain sort a change of country also, made by this artist; for as he was much attached to a dwell-