Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/417

Rh beautiful and most praiseworthy performance ever executed by Bordone, was a Story in the Scuola of SS. Giovanni e Polo, in T7hich the Fisherman presents St. Mark’s ring to the Signoria of Venice. We have here a building beautifully painted in perspective, around which are seated the Senators, with the Doge; many of the heads being portraits from life, of great animation, and admirably executed. The beauty of this work, so well painted in fresco, caused Bordone to be employed by many gentlemen, and he executed numerous pictures in the great Palace of the Foscari, near St. Barnabas; among others, a figure of Christ descended to the Gates of Hell, whence he is delivering the Holy Fathers; a picture considered to display great merit. In the Church of St. Job, at the Canal Reio, Bordone painted a very beautiful picture; and at San Giovanni he executed another, with one in each of the Churches of Santa Maria della Celeste, and Santa Marina.

But knowing that he who would succeed in Venice must pay great court to one and another, Paris, who was a man of reserved habits, and had no taste for certain modes of proceeding, which he saw to prevail around him, resolved to accept whatever should be oftered to him in other places, and to take what Fortune might give, without being obliged to go begging for employment. He therefore seized an occasion which presented itself, and in 1538 went to France, where he entered the service of King Francis, and painted numerous Portraits of Ladies for that Monarch, with other pictures of different kinds. At the same time he executed a singularly beautiful Church picture, for the high ecclesiastic. Monsignore de Guise, with one of Venus and Cupid, for his chamber. For the Cardinal of Lorraine he painted the Ecce Homo, with a Jupiter and lo, and many other works. Paris likewise sent the King of Poland a picture of Jupiter and a Nymph, which was considered a very fine one. Two others which he despatched to Flanders, were also reputed to be most beautiful. One of these represented Mary Magdalene in the Hermitage, accompanied by Angels; the other was a Diana bathing with her Nymphs; both of which our artist painted by commission from the Milanese Candiano, physician to the Queen Maria, who intended them as presents for her Highness.

At Augsburg, Paris Bordone undertook works of great