Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/175

Rh a slow and melancholy hand; they are manifestly executed with much patience and at great cost of time; but the traces of heavy labour are also clearly apparent.

But to come to particulars: leaving out of the account such pictures as do not merit attention, I find that in his youth Daniello painted the fa9ade of a house in Volterra, belonging to Messer Mario Maffei; this he executed in chiaro-scuro, acquiring a fair name and much credit by the work. Having finished this, and seeing that there was no one in Yolterra with whom he could enter into competition, while there were also no works in that city, whether ancient or modern, from which he could learn much, he resolved on making every effort to reach Borne, where he had heard that there were not many artists much engaged at that time in painting, with the sole exception of Perino del Vaga. But prior to his departure, Daniello desired earnestly to prepare some painting which he might take with him, and ultimately produced a picture of Christ scourged at the Column. This work, which was in oil, comprised many figures, and having given all his wonted diligence to its completion, for which he used many models and portraits from the life, he took it with him to Borne.

Arrived in the city, Daniello had not been there any very long time before the picture just mentioned was made known, by means of certain of his friends, to the Cardinal Triulzi, who was so highly satisfied therewith, that he not only purchased the same, but conceived a great liking for Daniello, whom he despatched shortly afterwards to one of his dwellings, a large building called the Salone, which he had erected outside Borne, and which he was then causing to be decorated with stucco-works, fountains, and pictures by Giovanni Maria da Milano, and other artists, who were employed there precisely at that moment, all busied in adorning the same with stuccoes and grottesche. Having reached this place therefore, Daniello, incited by the spirit of emulation, and also desiring to serve effectually that Noble, from whom he might reasonably hope much honour as well as profit, began at once to paint various stories in the different apartments

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