Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/390

378 di Loretta, Pellegrino there adorned a Chapel for that prelate with the most beautiful paintings and stucco-work. In the ceiling, within rich compartments, is the Birth of Christ, and his Presentation in the Temple; the centre of the vaulting has the Transfiguration, with Moses, Elias, and the Disciples. On the altar-piece is the Baptism of Our Saviour by St. John; and here the artist has painted the Portrait of the above-mentioned Cardinal in a kneeling position. The side walls exhibit San Giovanni Preaching to the People on the one, and the Beheading of that Saint on the other. Pellegrino also depicted the Last Judgment in another part of this Church, with certain figures in chiaro-scuro, in the place where the Theatines now have their Confessional.

Being subsequently invited to Ancona by Giorgio Morato, he there painted a large picture in oil, of Our Saviour Baptized by St. John, for the Church of Sant’ Agostino: on one side of this picture are St. Paul and other Saints, while on the Predella there are numerous small figures, which are very graceful. For the same Giorgio Morato, Pellegrino executed a beautiful framework of stucco around the picture of the High Altar, in the Church of San Ciriaco on the Hill, with a figure of Christ in full relief, which was greatly extolled. This artist has executed a grand and beautiful frame-work for the High Altar of San Domenico at Ancona, and was also to have painted the picture for the same; but he having fallen into disaccord with the Signore, who was causing the work to be done, it was given to Tiziano Yecellio instead, as will be related in due time. At a later period, Pellegrino undertook the Loggia of the Merchants of Ancona, a building of which one side turns towards the sea and the other towards the principal street. The vaulting, which is entirely new, he has adorned with paintings and large figures in stucco: he has given his best attention to the work, which has accordingly proved to be a very beautiful and graceful performance: to say nothing of the many fine figures, there are foreshortenings among certain of the nude forms which are most admirable, and it is manifest that he has very carefully imitated the works of Michelagnolo in the Chapel at Rome.