Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/51

Rh and here the Pope and Francis are both drawn from the life, the king in armour, the Pope in his pontifical robes; the College of Cardinals, a large number of Bishops, chamberlains, shield-bearers, and grooms of the chamber, all in their appropriate robes and dresses of ceremony, are placed in their due position and proper order as is usual in the papal chapel. Among them are many portraits from the life, as, for example, that of Griannozzo Pandolfini, Bishop of Troy, and the most intimate friend of Paphael, with those of many other persons holding eminent positions at that time. Near the King is a boy kneeling, who bears the crown in his hands: this is.the portrait of Ippolito de’ Medici, who was afterwards a Cardinal and became Vice-Chancellor—a highly esteemed prelate, and the firm friend, not of these arts only, but of all others—one too, whose memory I am myself bound to hold in the most grateful respect, and do indeed acknowledge myself deeply obliged to him, since my own commencement in art, such as it may have been, had its origin with that noble prelate.

To describe all the minute particulars of Raphael’s works, wherein every object seems to be eloquently speaking in its silence, would not be possible; I must yet not omit to mention that beneath each of the pictures above described is represented a socle or basement, wherein are depicted the figures of various benefactors and defenders of the church, separated from each other by terminal figures of various character, but all executed in such a manner that every part gives evidence of the utmost thought and care; all are full of spirit, with a propriety and harmony of colour that could not possibly be better. The ceiling of this apartment had been painted by Pietro Perugino, Raphael’s master, and this the latter, from respect to his memory and from the affection that he bore him, would not destroy, seeing that by his instructions it was that Raphael himself was first conducted to the path which had led him to so high a position in art.