Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/288

280 therefore, the subject of which was the Saviour lying dead in the lap of the Virgin Mother, remained unfinished. After these things, and when Perino del Vaga, having left Genoa in anger against the Prince Doria, was labouring in Pisa, where the sculptor Stagio, of Pietrasanta, had commenced the range of new chapels in marbles, then constructed at the end of the nave of the cathedral, the above-named Perino was commanded to complete the decorations by the addition of paintings, as will be related in his life. The space behind the high altar, and which serves as a sacristy, had in like manner been made ready by the sculptor Stagio; and Perino, with other masters, began to execute the paintings before mentioned, among the marble ornaments. But Perino was recalled to Genoa, when Giovan Antonio was commanded to continue the pictures which were intended for the recess behind the high altar, taking for his subject the Sacrifices described in the Old Testament, in allusion to the Sacrifice of the most Holy Sacrament, which was there placed in the centre of the space above the high altar.

In the first of these pictures, therefore, Sogliani represented the Sacrifice offered by Noah and his sons when they left the Ark; and in the second is the Sacrifice of Cain, with that offered by his brother Abel, all of which were highly commended, but more particularly the Sacrifice of Noah, wherein there are certain heads and portions of figures which are most beautiful. In the picture of Abel there is an admirable landscape executed with great care, and it is besides much admired for the head of Abel, the expression of his countenance being that of the most perfect goodness. The face of Cain is altogether the contrary, it is indeed the countenance of a truly bad man. And now had Sogliani continued the work with spirit and promptitude, the Superintendent of works to the Cathedral, from whom he had received the commission, and who was pleased with his manner of painting, as well as with the excellence of his character, would doubtless have suffered him to complete all the works required for the cathedral. But Giovan Antonio relaxed in his attention, and therefore did not at that time execute more than one picture, in addition to those above described. This he painted in Florence, and it was