Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/382

374 generated from the distinction of his kinsman Francesco, whether as regards painting or worth, seeing that he is a most amiable person, courteous and obliging beyond description. He is still living, and we are therefore constantly seeing very fine works proceed from his hands.

A very intimate friend of Francesco was Messer Vincenzio Caccianimici, a nobleman of Bologna, who employed himself much with painting, and laboured to the utmost of his power to imitate the manner of Francesco. Vincenzio painted extremely well, so that the pictures which he executed for his pleasure, or for the purpose of presenting to his friends and different gentlemen, are certainly worthy of praise. There is more particularly one in oil by his hand, which is in the chapel of his family, in the church of San Petronio; it represents the Beheading of San Giovanni Battista. This well-endowed gentleman, from whose hand there are certain drawings in our book which are very beautiful, departed from the present life in the year 1542.

So powerful is the effect of excellence in art, even though displayed in one sole work, or in two only, or however few these may be, that if they be perfect in their kind, artists and judges are compelled to extol them, while writers are in like manner constrained to celebrate their praises, and to exalt the master who has produced them. And this we are ourselves about to do, in the case of the Venetian Palma, who,