Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/53

Rh just then existing between Francesco and Jacopo del Conte caused these works to remain incomplete. This state of things becoming known to Battista, he thought to have here found an opportunity of proving himself to be greater than Francesco, nay, the greatest master in Rome. Thereupon he set his friends to work, and using every means he could find, did so contrive that Monsignore della Casa, having been shown one of his designs, commissioned him to execute a picture: he set hand to the work accordingly and painted a fresco, the subject of which was San Giovanni Battista taken by Herod and cast into prison.

But in despite of all the pains that were taken with his picture by Franco, it was considered to be far from approaching the merit of those by Salviati, seeing that it gave evidence of an excessively laboured treatment, and was in a hard, melancholy manner, being moreover without order in the composition, and wholly destitute of the grace and charm of colouring by whch those of Francesco were distinguished. And from this failure we may safely conclude that those are falling into a great error who, when in pursuit of art, consider themselves to have done all when they have given close attention to depicting exactly, and with all its muscles well developed, some torso, leg, arm, or whatever other part may be in question, and believe that the being well acquainted with so much renders them masters of the whole. Yes; such people are, without doubt, deceived, for a part is not the whole; and he only exhibits perfection in his work who, having well delineated the parts, knows how to bring the whole into harmony and true proportion, and who besides is careful that the composition and grouping of his figures, with the expression given to each and all, shall be such as will render clearly the effect desired without formality and without confusion.

Another point to be carefully secured is that the heads shall be powerful, animated, graceful, and exhibiting beauty withal, as well as truth of expression; nor must the manner be crude and hard: the nude parts must be sufficiently darkened in the shadows that they may have the due degree of relief, the figures must retire and fall into the distance