Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/289

Rh placed in the chapel which Perino had begun to adorn with paintings, where it gave much satisfaction to the Pisans, and was considered to he exceedingly beautiful. The subject is Our Lady with San Giovanni Battista, San Giorgio, Santa Maria Maddelena, Santa Margareta, and other saints.

Satisfied with this work, the Superintendent then commissioned Sogliani to paint three more pictures, which he commenced accordingly, but did not complete them during the life of that Superintendent, whose place Bastiano della Seta was elected to fill. Then the latter, perceiving that the progress made by Sogliani was very slow, gave a commission to the excellent Sienese painter, Domenico Beccafumi, whom he commanded to paint four pictures for the above-mentioned sacristy, which had been constructed behind the high altar. By that master they were commenced immediately, as will be related in his life, and he executed one picture while other artists proceeded with the others. Continuing his work at leisure, Giovan Antonio then completed the two remaining pictures with infinite care, representing Our Lady, with numerous saints around her, in each of them. Finally, he removed to Pisa, and there undertook a fourth picture, but in this he did not succeed so well as in those previously painted, either because he was becoming old, or because he felt troubled by the competition of Beccafumi, or for some other reason.

But the Superintendent Bastiano, remarking the slowness of this man, and desiring to see the work brought to an end, commissioned Giorgio Vasari of Arezzo to paint the three pictures that still remained; he executed two of them accordingly, those on the front wall and which stand on each side of the door. In that towards the Campo Santo is Our Lady; in her arms she holds the Divine Child, whom Santa Maria is caressing. Santa Cecilia, Sant’ Agostino, San Gioseffo, and San Guido the Hermit, are also represented, all kneeling: in the foreground is a figure of San Girolamo entirely nude, with one of San Luca, and some Children holding a drapery, with others who have flowers in their hands. In the other pic-