Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/271

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In one of the chapels of the church of Sant’ Antonio at his favorite residence of San Daniello, Pellegrino painted various events descriptive of the Passion of our Saviour; this work is in fresco, and is so admirably executed that the artist well deserved the sum of more than two thousand crowns which he received for it. This master was much esteemed for his abilities by the Dukes of Ferrara, and in addition to the many favours and numerous gifts which they bestowed on himself, he obtained two Canonicates in the Cathedral of Udine for two of his kinsmen, by means of those Princes.

Among the disciples of Pellegrino, wFo had a large number of scholars, and constantly availed himself of their services, which he remunerated very liberally, was one of the Greek nation, by whom Pellegrino was very closely imitated, and whose manner was exceedingly beautiful. But greatly superior even to this Greek would without doubt have been another of Pellegrino’s disciples, had he not been too soon taken from the world, Luca Monverde of Udine namely, who was greatly beloved by his master, but died while yet a youth. One picture by the hand of Luca remains to us, his first and his last; the subject chosen is the Virgin with the divine Child in her arms, the figure is painted with greht softness and has much relief, it is seated within a deep recess, the perspective of which is very good, and beneath are two figures on each side; all so beautiful that they plainly show the excellence to which Luca Monverde would have attained had his life been prolonged.

Another disciple of Pellegrino was Bastianello Florigorio, who painted a picture of Our Lady for the high altar of the church of San Giorgio in Udine; the Virgin is represented in the heavens surrounded by an immense number of angels in the form of children, all in various attitudes, adoring the divine Child whom she holds in her arms; beneath these figures is a landscape, which is remarkably well done; and here we have a figure of San Giovanni, which is one of extraordinary beauty, with San Giorgio armed and seated on horseback. The figure of the last mentioned Saint is finely foreshortened, and in a bold and animated attitude; he is killing the dragon with his