Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/319

Rh was a banker in Bologna, to the intent that he, Dattero, should provide Cristofano and Battista with whatever might be needful to them. This Dattero was a very friendly person and exceedingly obliging to the two artists, to whom he offered many courtesies and conferred on them favours innumerable. Doceno and Battista, therefore, going about with him very familiarly in Bologna, and Cristofano having a great mark on one eye, while the eyes of Battista were large and prominent, the two painters were believed to be Jews, as Dattero truly was. One morning a certain shoemaker being despatched by Dattero to Cristofano with a new pair of shoes for his use, repaired to the Monastery, and encountering Cristofano himself, who stood looking on while the customary dole was distributed, he said to him, “Messer, can you tell me where are the rooms of those two Jewpainters who are working in this convent? ” “Jews, or no Jews, what hast thou to do with them?” returned Cristofano. I have to give these shoes, rejoined the cordwainer, to one of them who is called Cristofano.” “I am Cristofano,” quoth the painter, “an honest man and a better Christian than thyself.” “Say what you please,” retorted the shoemaker, “I call you Jews, not only because you are so considered and known to be, by every one, but also because your strange looks, which are not of this land, convince me that you are Jews.” “Say no more,” answered Cristofano, “Thou shalt see when the time comes that we know how to make Christian work.”

But to return to the matter in hand. Vasari having arrived in Bologna, a month had not elapsed, before, Giorgio himself designing, and Cristofano, aided by Battista, sketching the pictures with his colours, they were all three completely outlined, to the great praise of Cristofano, who acquitted himself to admiration in the matter. The paintings being thus all sketched, they commenced the frieze, which Cristofano was to have executed entirely with his own hand; yet it chanced that he had a companion, for Stefano Yeltroni, the cousin of Giorgio, having come from Camaldoli, where he had sketched the Deposition from the Cross above-named, both laboured at this work together, and completed it so well that all admitted them to have succeeded wonderfully. Cristofano was indeed so good a painter of grottesclie that few could be better, but he did not give them the nicety of finish required