Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/357

Rh liquid or very fluent state, ultimately producing a most pleasing and ricli effect. Of this mode of treatment I have spoken in my theoretic remarks, to he found in the twentysixth chapter, under the head Hatching.

The first façade decorated by Andrea in this manner was that of the Gondi palace in the Borgo Ognissanti, which is a very light and graceful work; he likewise painted one on the Lung’ Arno between the bridge of the Trinita and that of the Carraja and near Santo Spirito, for Lanfredino Lanfredini; this is exceedingly elaborate, and exhibits a rich variety of ornament with well fancied compartments. The house of Andrea and Tommaso Sertini, which is near the church of San Michele on the Piazza di Padella, was also decorated by Andrea di Cosimo with these hatchings, which are here executed in a grander and more varied manner than is even that of the two before mentioned. This artist painted, in chiaro-scuro, the front of the church which belongs to the Servite monks; and for that work he caused the painter Tommaso di Stefano to depict within two niches, the Angel making the Annunciation to the Virgin. In the court also, where Andrea del Sarto had painted the stories of San Filippo, with those from the life of Our Lady, he executed an exceedingly beautiful Escutcheon of Pope Leo X., when that Pontiff, made his visit to Florence. Moreover, Andrea di Cosimo painted many beautiful ornaments of arabesque work for the front of Santa Maria del Fiore, receiving his commission for the same from Jacopo Sansovino, who gave him a sister of his own to wife. Andrea likewise prepared the Canopy beneath which the Pope walked, the upper part thereof being richly adorned all over with arabesque ornaments, and the draperies around it having the arms of the Pontiff, with various devices and emblems of the church by way of decoration: this canopy was afterwards given to the church of San Lorenzo in Florence, Avhere it may still be seen. Many standards and banners were also painted by Andrea for the ceremonies of that public entry of the Pontiff, and in honour of the numerous cavaliers who received knighthood on that occasion from Pope Leo and other princes. These are now hung up in different churches of the same city.