Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/348

340 latter to resume his own labours in that cloister, where he conducted the decoratioDS to their completion.

Magnificent preparations were then to be made for the marriage of the Duke Lorenzo, and among these ivere two scenes painted in perspective for the dramatic representations to be given on that occasion, which Francia Bigio prepared in company with Ridolfo Ghirlandajo: all these things were arranged with much ability, they displayed a masterly judgment, with admirable grace of manner, and our artist obtained much reputation and great favour with the above-named Prince thereby. The works executed by Francia Bigio in his service caused our artist to be associated with Andrea di Cosimo, in the commission for gilding the Hall of the Palace at the Poggio a Cajano. He afterwards commenced a painting on one of the sides of that Hall, the subject chosen being Cicero drawn in triumph by the Roman people, which he executed in compe'tition with Andrea del Sarto and Jacopo da Pontormo; these paintings had been commended by the liberality of Pope Leo, in memory of Lorenzo his father, who had caused the building to be erected, and had furthermore proposed to have it decorated with representations from ancient history and with other ornaments, according to his pleasure.

These subjects had been selected and given to Andrea del Sarto, Jacopo da Pontormo, and Francia Bigio, by the very learned historian, Messer Paolo Giovio, Bishop of Nocera, who was then near the person of the Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici. Herein were the artists above-named to have given evidence of their ability, and left memorials of their perfection in art, and each received thirty ducats per month, from the magnificent Ottaviano de’ Medici, for his labour. Thereupon Francia for his part, to say nothing of the various beauties of the story depicted, executed certain buildings in perspective, which were singularly fine and in admirable proportion. But this undertaking remained unfinished at that time, on account of the death of Pope Leo, although it was afterwards recommenced in the year 1532 and by commission of the Duke Alessandro de’ Medici, by Jacopo da Pontormo, in whose hands it was delayed so long, that the duke died before its completion, and the work remained undone.