Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/184

172 forms of most beautiful Children, the Apostles meanwhile standing beneath and watching her Ascension. But the space at his command not affording room for all the figures he desired to have, and he wishing also to display a new invention in that work, caused the Altar of the Chapel to represent the Tomb, and arranging the Apostles around it, he used the floor of the Chapel, at that point namely where the Altar commences, for the place whereon they rested their feet; and this method of proceeding has pleased some people, but the greater and more judicious portion of the judges it has not pleased. One wall of this Chapel still remained to be finished, and that, after he had made the Cartoons, he caused to be painted by Michele Alberti, his disciple, who was a native of Florence.

Now the Florentine Monsignore, Messer Giovanni della Casa, a most learned man, as his very graceful and erudite works, both in Latin and in the vulgar tongue, sufficiently demonstrate, began to write a Treatise on the subject of Painting, and desiring to enlighten himself as to certain minutim by reference to men of the profession, he caused Daniello to prepare the model of a David in terra, to which all possible care was given, and which was finished with the most delicate nicety; he afterwards commissioned him to paint, or rather copy, that figure of David in a picture, wherein were represented the two sides, back and front namely, in a singularly fanciful manner, but the work was a very beautiful one. This picture is now in the possession of Messer Annibale Rucellai. For the same Messer Giovanni, Daniello painted a Dead Christ, with the Maries; and in a picture on cloth to be sent into France, he represented Eneas, who being on the point of removing his vestments for the purpose of retiring to rest, is accosted by Mercury, who is supposed to be addressing to him the words found in the verses of Virgil. For the same prelate he painted another picture, also in oil, a San Giovanni in the Desert namely, as large as life; and that figure, which is one of infinite beauty, was highly prized by the Signor Cardinal to the end of his days, as was also a San Jerome, likewise by Daniello, and beautiful to a marvel.