Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/127

Rh away, because he had laid by nothing in his youth. He was so much disturbed at the sight of young artists who seemed pressing to come forward, that he was anxious to have them all under his own command, to the end that they might not become an impediment to himself.

In the year 1546 there came to Rome the highly renowned Venetian painter, Tiziano da Cador, his purpose being to make certain portraits in that city. Now Titian had taken the likeness of Pope Paul at an earlier period, when that pontiff had gone to Busseto namely, but neither for that nor for some others which he had made for Cardinal Farnese, and at Santa Fiore, had the Venetian master accepted any remuneration. He was now received most honourably by the Pope and Cardinal in the Belvedere, and a rumour was set about in the court, which instantly afterwards spread through the city, to the effect that Titian had come for the purpose of executing paintings with his own hand in the Hall of Kings; wherein Perino had himself been commissioned to display the resources of his art, and where he had already prepared the stucco-work. This arrival consequently displeased Perino greatly, and he complained of it to many of his friends, not that he feared to see Titian surpass himself in fresco, but because he desired to retain the interest and occupation of that work peacefully and honourably to the day of his death, and if he was to do it, lie wished to proceed without any competitor, the rather as he had quite enough on his hands in the way of comparison, with the walls and ceiling of Michelagnolo, which were close beside him. This suspicion caused Perino constantly to avoid Titian during all the time of that master’s stay in Rome, and the former was indeed very ill-disposed towards the Venetian artist even to the moment of his departure.

Now the Castellan of the Fortress Sant’ Agnolo, Tiberio Crispo, who afterwards became a Cardinal, was a man who delighted much in our Arts, and he had formed the resolution