Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/95

Rh manner, that the work has ever been and ever will be held by artists in the highest estimation.

This performance caused the master to become known to the Fugger family, merchants of Germany, who having seen that work of Perino, and being greatly pleased with the same, commissioned him to paint the Court and Loggia of a house, which they had built near the Banchi, on the road leading to the Church of the Florentines. Here Perino executed numerous figures, which merit commendation quite as much as do the other works of his hand, giving evidence of a very beautiful manner, and displaying a most attractive grace. At the same time, Messer Marchionne Baldassini had caused a house to be constructed near Sant’ Agostino, and which had been completed with very great ability by Antonio da San Gallo, a3 we have related in the life of that architect; Messer Marchionne then wished to have a Hall, which Antonio had erected therein, painted all over in fresco, and having talked with many of the young artists who were then exercising their vocation in Rome, on the subject, seeing that he much desired to have the work well and handsomely done, he finally, and after speaking with several others, as we have said, determined to confide it to Perino. Having agreed respecting the price, that artist set hand to the work accordingly, nor did he suffer himself to be interrupted in this undertaking by any others, until he had brought the fresco to a most satisfactory conclusion.

The Hall was divided by Perino into compartments, by painted columns, and in the intercolumniations he depicted niches, some large and some small; in the former he placed figures of philosophers, two in some of the niches, and one standing alone in others; the smaller recesses were occupied by figures of children, some nude, others partially draped by means of veils, and over these smaller niches are female heads, painted to imitate busts of marble. Above the cornice, which forms the completion of the columns, there followed a second range of pictures, consisting of stories, the figures of which are not large, and the subjects whereof are taken from Roman history, commencing with Romulus and ending with Numa Pompilius. There are besides numerous ornaments painted to imitate marbles of various kinds, and above the chimney-piece, which is in stone and of very