Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/199

Rh frieze and other decorations in the Great Hall, which were then in process of execution. Federigo laboured also in the Palace of the Giambeccari family, whose house is above the Piazza di Sant’ Apostolo. Taddeo likewise caused him to paint other friezes, which he was then preparing, at the Obelisk of San Mauro, for Messer Antonio Portatore. These works were very rich in figures and other ornaments, and were considered exceedingly beautiful.

During the Pontificate of Pope Julius, Maestro Mattinolo, the Master of the Post, had bought a piece of ground in the Campo Marzio, where he had built a very commodious house, the front of which he now caused Taddeo to paint in chiaroscuro. Here our artist depicted three Stories relating to Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods, which were very beautiful; the remainder of the decorations he made others execute from designs by his own hand. Meanwhile, Messer Jacopo Mattel had caused a Chapel to be built in the Church of the Consolation, which is beneath the Capitol, and gave it, knowing the abilities of Taddeo, to that artist to paint: and this he undertook to do very gladly, although the price was but moderate, because he wished to prove to certain persons who had declared him unable to execute anything but fa9ades and other works in chiaro-scuro, that he could handle the colours also.

Having set hand to this work therefore, Taddeo would never go to it except at such times as he felt himself fully disposed, and in the humour to do something good, employing the remainder of his time on works which did not interest him so much on the score of his honour; in this leisurely manner he completed the same, after having been occupied on it during four years. In the ceiling he depicted four Stories in fresco, from the Passion of Our Saviour Christ. They are not of great size, but are so admirable from the rich originality of the invention, the correctness of the design, and the beauty of the colouring, that the artist was seen to have herein surpassed all his previous efforts.

The subject of this portion of the work is the Last Supper, the Washing of the Feet, the Prayer in the Garden, and the Betrayal by Judas.

On one of the sidewalls, in figures the size of life, we have Christ Scourged at the Column; and on the other is Our Saviour brought out to the people by Pilate, with the words Ecce Homo. Over