Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/273

Rh two nude forms of our first parents, the one held captive in a sleep so profound that it resembles death, the other just awakened to the most animated life by the Benediction of God; and the pencil of this most admirable artist here has shown clearly, not only the difierence between Sleep and wakeful vitality, but also the appearance of stability and firmness, which is presented, humanly speaking, by the Divine Majesty.

There next follows the Story of Adam, yielding to the persuasions of a figure, half woman and half serpent, and taking his death as well as our own in the forbidden fruit; he is furthermore exhibited in this picture as driven, with Eve, out of Paradise. And here, in the figure of the Angel, is displayed with grandeur and dignity, the execution of the mandate pronounced by an incensed Deity; while in Adam we have regret for his fault, together with the fear of death; and in the woman that shame, abasement, and desire to obtain pardon, which are expressed by the compression of the arms, the clasping of the hands, the sinking of the head towards the bosom, and the turn of her imploring countenance towards the avenging Angel: all showing, likewise, that her fear of God^s justice predominates over her hope in the Divine Mercy.

Not less beautiful is the Story of the Sacrifice of Cain and Abel, wherein there are figures in great variety of attitudes; one brings wood, another is bent down and seeking to kindle the fire into flame by his breath, some are cutting up the victim; and these figures are painted with all the care and forethought which distinguish the others. Equally conspicuous are the art and judgment of the master in the Story of the Deluge; wherein there are numerous dead corpses mingled with other figures, all betraying the terrors inspired by the fearful events of those days, and seeking in various manners to escape with their lives. Among these heads are many, the expression of which proves them to be in despair of redeeming their days from destruction; fear, horror, and disregard of all around them are legibly impressed on their features. In others again, compassion is seen to prevail over their fears, and they are aiding each other to attain the summit of a rock, by means of which they hope to escape the coming floods. There is one figure in particular, which is labouring to save another, already half