Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/501

Rh also prepared the designs for hangings of a bed to be richly embroidered all over with stories in small figures, this being considered the most gorgeous decoration of the kind that has ever been executed in similar work, seeing that the designs of Francesco have been worked in embroidery, thickly mingled with pearls and other costly materials, by Antonio Bacchiacca, the brother of Francesco, who is an excellent master in embroidery. But as Francesco died before the bed was finished, it was subsequently completed with the designs and under the directions of Giorgio Vasari, being that which has served for the most fortunate nuptials of the illustrious Signor Don Francesco, Prince of Florence, and of the most Serene Princess, Queen Joanna of Austria.

Francesco died in Florence in the year 1557.

In that portion of these Lives which we are now about to write, we propose to make a collection of, and briefly record all the best and most eminent painters, sculptors, and architects, who have appeared in Lombardy during our own times, that is to say, since the time of Mantegna, Lorenzo Costa, BoCcaccino of Cremona, and the Bolognese Francia: and this I do because I cannot relate the story of each in particular, and because it appears to me that it will be sufficient to record the works of these artists.

Nor should I have permitted myself to do even thus much, or to give a judgment of these masters’ productions if I had not first examined the same; but as from the year 1542 down to the present year of 1566, I had not travelled nearly