Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/129

Rh other thing, however inferior as a work of art, that came to his hands.

This master commenced the preparation of patterns on cloth, after which tapestry was then to be woven, for Prince Doria; and for the most reverend Cardinal Farnese, he decorated a chapel, as he did a writing chamber or study for the most excellent lady Madama Margherita of Austria. He made the ornamental frame around the Madonna at Santa Maria del Pianto; and in like manner it was by Perino that the frame-work about the Madonna in the Piazza Giudea was prepared, with many other works, of which, as they were very numerous, I will not now make any memorial, and the rather as it was his custom, as I have said, to accept the execution of whatever commission was offered to his hands. This disposition on the part of Perino, was perfectly well known to the officials of the palace, he had consequently some work always on hand for one or another of them, and served them very willingly, in the hope that by thus binding them to him he might obtain services from them in return, as to the payment of his pension and other matters.

Perino had obtained so great an extent of influence that nearly all the works undertaken in Pome were given to him, nay, it would almost appear to have been thought that these works were his of right, but this was partly occasioned by the fact that he would sometimes execute commissions at the lowest and vilest price, a practice whereby he did but little good, whether to himself or the art; nay, rather, on the contrary, it was the source of much evil, and that this is true a3 respects his own loss is proved by the certainty that he would have gained many hundreds of crowns had he taken it upon himself to paint the Hall of Kings with his own hand, and by the aid of his disciples; but the many artists employed therein having to be paid by the day, large sums were expended on the superintendents who had care of the work, and who took charge of such payments.

But Perino had in this matter undertaken a charge too great for his bodily powers, labours so fatiguing were found to be beyond his strength, seeing that he was suffering from catarrh and was very infirm. He had in fact to be drawing day and night, and was at every moment called on for something required at the palace; nor were these demands confined