Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/526

514 light to the picture, of which the time was the night. Around the Divine Child are the Shepherds in adoration. I furthermore endeavoured to imitate the rays of the rising sun, by means of the colours, and portrayed every object in those works from the life, and with the light that made them approach as nearly as possible to the reality. Then, as the light within the cabin could not illumine the roof and exterior, I caused the upper and surrounding portions of the picture to receive light from the splendour of the angels who are hovering in the air, and singing the Gloria in excelsis Deo. The Shepherds also produced light in certain parts by the sheaves of lighted straw which they carried about in their hands; in other parts, the moon, the stars, and the Angels appearing to the Shepherds, supply the light.

As to the building, I formed it of certain antiquities after my own fancy, with broken Statues and other things of similar character. At a word, I conducted the whole to the best of my knowledge and ability, and although I could not by hand and pencil attain to such a performance as I fain would have produced, the picture has nevertheless pleased many; wherefore, Messer Fausto Sabeo, a very learned man, who was then keeper of the Pope’s Library, made several Latin verses in honour of the same, as after him did many others; but moved, perhaps, more by great kindness than by the merit of the work. However this may be, if there be any thing good in the picture, that good was the gift of God. On the completion thereof, the Fathers determined that the paintings which were to be executed on the façade should be entrusted to my care, when I depicted a view of the Hermitage itself over the door, with a figure of San Romualdo and that of a Doge of Venice, who was a holy man, on one side; and a Vision seen by the above-named Saint in the place where he afterwards made his Hermitage, on the other. There were besides certain phantasies, grottesche, and other things, as may be seen there. This being done, the Fathers commanded me to repair thither in the following summer, with commission to paint the picture for the High Altar.

Meanwhile, the above-mentioned Don Miniato Pitti, who was then visitor to the Congregation of Monte Oliveto,