Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/556

544 that he said to me, “When your engagements in Rome are completed, return to Florence, and enter my service, when I will show you what I desire that you should do.”

Having returned to Rome, I took measures for the completion of all my works commenced there, and among other things I painted a picture for the Company or Brotherhood of the Misericordia; this, which was destined for the High Altar of that Brotherhood, was the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, and having fixed it in its place in the year 1553, I desired to return to Florence. But I was compelled to remain, for the purpose of constructing two very extensive Loggie for Messer Bindo Altoviti, in whose service I could not fail to be ever ready. These Loggie I decorated with stucco work and fresco paintings. One of them was erected at his Vigna, and that with a new species of architecture, for the arches being of so great a width, it was difficult to turn them without danger; I had them formed, therefore, of wood-work, canes, and matting, on which I caused stucco and fresco to be executed, as if the niches had been of masonry, as indeed they appear, and are supposed to be, by all who see them, supported as they are by very fine antique columns of vari-coloured marble, and enriched with various ornaments of similar kind.

The second of the two Loggie mentioned above was erected on the ground-floor of Messer Bindo’s house at Ponte, and is covered with Stories in fresco. I subsequently painted four large pictures in oil, representing the Four Seasons of the year, for the ceiling of an ante-chamber; and these finished, I was compelled to further delay by the request of my intimate friend, Andrea del Fonte, that I would paint the Portrait of his wife; this I did, giving him at the same time a large picture of Christ bearing his Cross, with figures copied from nature, which I had executed for a kinsman of the Pope, to whom I did not ultimately think proper to give it. For the Bishop of Yasona I painted a Dead Christ, supported by Nicodemus and two Angels; with a picture, representing theBirth of Our Lord, for Pier Antonio Bandini; the latter a Night-piece, with certain varieties in the composition thereof.