also affirmed that he would never take the pencil in hand until he had first offered a prayer. He is said never to have painted a Crucifix without tears streaming from his eyes, and in the countenances and attitudes of his figures it is easy to perceive proof of his sincerity, his goodness, and the depth of his devotion to the religion of Christ.
Fra Giovanni died in 1455, at the age of sixty-eight. He left disciples, among whom was Benozzo, a Florentine, by whom his manner was always imitated, with Zanobi Strozzi,[1] who executed paintings for all Florence, which were dispersed among the houses of the citizens. There is a picture by this master in the centre aisle of Santa Maria Novella, near that of Fra Giovanni, and another, which was formerly in San Benedetto, a monastery belonging to the monks of Camaldoli, without the Find gate; but the convent is now destroyed, and Strozzi’s work is at this time in the little church of San Michele, in the monastery of the Angeli. It may be seen as you enter the principal door, and on the right hand as you go towards the altar, appended to the wall.[2] Another work of Zanobi Strozzi will be found in the chapel of the Nasi family in Santa Lucia; there is likewise one in San Romeo, and in the treasury (guardaroba) of the duke, there is the portrait of Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, with that of Bartolommeo Valori, in one and the same picture, both by the hand of this master.[3]
Gentile da Fabriano was likewise among the disciples of Fra Giovanni, as was Domenico di Michelino, who executed the altar-piece of San Zanobi, in the church of Sant’ Apollinare, of Florence, with many other pictures.[4] Fra Giovanni
- ↑ Of the noble family of the Strozzi. The reader will find a detailed notice of this painter in Baldinucci, vol. iii. p. 205. Of the fate of his works but little is now known, the suppression of the regular orders having caused their dispersion with that of so many other works of art.
- ↑ Richa, Chiese Fiorentine, part i., p. 258, declares himself unable to discover this painting.
- ↑ Masselli remarks, that Vasari has omitted to mention a very beautiful painting which is alluded to by Lanzi in the following words:—“The picture of the Paradise, which is still to be seen in Santa Maddalena de’ Pazzi is extremely rich in figures; it is among the rarest of this master’s works, because of larger proportion than was usual with him, and may also be considered among the most beautiful of them,”—Ed. Flor. 1822 -8; but does not this refer to Bernardo rather than to Zanobi, Strozzi?
- ↑ Lanzi doubts that Gentile da Fabriano was the disciple of Fra Gio-
