Domenico Beccafumi, in the chapel of the above-named Brotherhood. The subjects of these works are the Presentation of Our Lady in the temple, the Visitation of the Madonna to Sant’ Elizabetta, her Assumption, and her Coronation in heaven. In one of the angles of the same chapel he painted a Saint in the episcopal robes, with San Lodovico and Sant’ Antonio of Padua in the others, but the best figure of all is that of San Francesco, who, standing upright, is raising his head towards a little angel, who appears to be speaking to him: the head of San Francesco himself is truly admirable.[1]
In the palace of the Signori a at Siena, Giovan Antonio painted numerous little tabernacles in one of the large halls, decorating the same with clusters of columns, angels in the form of little children, and other ornaments. Within these tabernacles also there are various figures; one of these is San Vittorio armed after the manner of the antique, and holding his sword in his hand: near him, and depicted in like manner is Sant’ Ansaldo baptizing certain catechumens; and in a third is San Benedetto, all very beautiful figures.
In the lower part of the same palace, and where the salt is sold,[2] Giovan Antonio painted a picture the subject of which was Christ rising from the sepulchre, with soldiers standing around the tomb and two little Angels, the heads of which are considered exceedingly beautiful.[3] Over a door in the same building is a figure of Our Lady with the Divine Child in her arms, and two Saints beside her,[4] also painted in fresco by Giovan Antonio.[5]
In the church of Santo Spirito, Razzi painted the chapel of San Jacopo, which he did by commission from men of the Spanish nation[6] who had their place of burial in that chapel,
- ↑ These works still remain.
- ↑ Our readers will not require to be reminded that the sale of salt has always been, and continues in many continental states still to be, a close monopoly of the government.
- ↑ The pictures of the Palazzo Publico still remain.
- ↑ This work has been engraved by Lasinio and Gecchi. See also Lastri, Etruria Pittrice.
- ↑ Gaye, Carteggio, &c., informs us that Giovan Antonio was at this time, 1536, employed in various works for the Prince Giacomo of Piombino likewise. See Gaye’s work, as above cited, vol. ii. p. 266.
- ↑ Armenini, in the first book of his Veri Precetti della Pittura, relates
