Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/300

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lives of the artists.

The painter Benedetto Buonfiglio, of Perugia, was the companion and friend of Pinturicchio, although the latter was much younger than Buonfiglio, who, with other masters, performed various works in the papal palace in Rome.[1]. In his native city Perugia, also, in the chapel of the Signoria., Benedetto painted events from the life of the Bishop Sant’ Ercolano, protector and patron saint of that city. Certain miracles performed by San Ludovico, were also depicted by the same master in the same place. In San Domenico he painted a picture in tempera, representing the Adoration of the Magi, with another in which there are numerous saints. In the church of San Bernardino, this master painted a figure of the Saviour appearing in the heavens, he is accompanied by San Bernardino, and the people of a city are represented as assembled below. Buonfiglio[2] was, in fine, considerably esteemed in his native city, before Pietro Peru- gino had arisen into notice.

The painter Gerino, of Pistoja, was also a friend of Pinturicchio, and executed many works in company with him. Gerino was esteemed to be a very careful painter, and a tolerably close imitator of the manner of Pietro Perugino, with whom he worked almost to the time of his death. He painted few pictures in his native city Pistoja,[3] but at Borgo San Sepolcro, there is a picture of the Circumcision, in oil, executed bv this artist for the Brotherhood of the Biion Gesu, ' which is tolerably well done : and in the capitular church of the same place, he painted a chapel in fresco, with another for the same community, also in fresco, on the road which leads to Anghiari, and near the shore of the Tiber. In the same place Gerino painted a chapel at San Lorenzo, an abbey belonging to the monks of Camaldoli, and by all these

Angelico; but having gone thither, was much complained of by the Orvietans for the havoc he made of their wine and ultra-marine. Of the former, they were willing to give him “ quantum libebat,^' but for the many pounds of ultra-marine which he demanded, they could not find the money.

  1. See Taja, Descrizione del Palazzo Valxcano.
  2. For details respecting this master’s works, see Lanzi, History of Painting, &c. Mariotti, Lettere Perugine, &c. Morelli, Brevi Notizie, &c. Alessi, Elogi de Perugini Illustri, and Pascoli, Vite de’ Pittori, Ac.
  3. One picture only by Gerino di Antonio Gerini is known to exist in Pistoja, it is in the Church of San Piero Maggiore, and represents the Virgin enthroned, with various Saints. Another work by Gerino may be seen in the Uffizj.— Ed. Flor., 1849.