painted in such a manner as to seem of the living flesh, but have the appearance of being in full relief. In the four angles of the cross by which the ceiling of that chapel is divided, there are moreover four stories; the Conception of Our Lady is in the first, in the second is her Birth, the third exhibits the Madonna as she ascends the steps of the Temple, and in the fourth is her Espousal with San Giuseppe.
On a wall which occupies the whole breadth of the arch, Perino then depicted the Visitation, a picture in which there are many very beautiful figures, but more especially are to be remarked some which have mounted on pedestals, the better to behold the ceremonies of that greeting; these have infinite animation in their attitudes, which are indeed most natural. The remaining figures and the buildings have in like manner something of good and beautiful in every part of them.[1] But Perino did not continue the work further, because he fell ill, and on his recovery the plague, by which Rome was so heavily scourged in the year 1523, broke out, and raged in such a manner that it became necessary for him to resolve on departing from the city if he had any intention of saving his life.
Now the goldsmith Piloto,[2] who was an intimate friend and constant companion of Perino, was at that time in Rome, and he also had a great wish to leave the city; one morning therefore, when they were breakfasting together, he persuaded Perino to set off at once and go to Florence, seeing that many years had then elapsed since he had been there, and considering also that it could not but be greatly to his honour to make himself known therein, and to leave some memorial of his excellence in that place. It is true that Andrea de’ Ceri and his wife, by whom Perino had been brought up, were both dead, and he had no possessions of any kind in that district; still, having been there born, he had a love for the land: no long time afterwards therefore, he set off one morning with Piloto, and they proceeded together on the road to Florence. Arrived in that city, Perino found the utmost pleasure in revisiting the old works painted by
