inferior to her sisters Sophonisba and Lucia. Europa has already executed many portraits, the likenesses of gentlemen in Cremona, which are indeed entirely natural and beautiful. One of the likenesses executed by her hand, that of the Signora Bianca her mother namely, was sent into Spain and pleased Sophonisba greatly, as it did every one who saw it. And since the fourth named sister, Anna, who is still but a little child, has also begun to devote herself and with much profit, to design, I know not what further to say, than that there must be a great inclination received from nature, and that to this much practice must needs be added, before any can hope to equal what has been done by these four noble and richly gifted sisters,[1] who have proved themselves enamoured of all the highest qualities, but most especially of those which appertain to design. At a word the house of the Signor Amilcar Anguisciola (the most fortunate father of an admirable and honoured family) appears to me to be the very abode and dwelling-place of painting, or rather of all the excellencies.
Meanwhile, since women so well know how to produce living men, what marvel is it that those who please to do it should prove so perfectly able to make the painted semblance? But to return to Giulio Campi, of whom I have said that these young ladies were disciples; in addition to his other works there is to be mentioned a large picture which he painted on cloth to serve as the covering of the organ in the cathedral church; this is in tempera, it exhibits a vast number of figures, the subject chosen being events in the history of Esther and Ahasuerus, with the Crucifixion of Idaman. There is, moreover, a graceful picture by his hand on the Altar of San Michele in the same church, but since this Giulio still lives, I will say no more at present in relation to his works.
The sculptor Geremia, of whom we made mention in the life of Filarete,[2] was also a Cremonese; there is a large work in marble by his hand in San Lorenzo,[3] a house of
- ↑ There was a fifth sister, named Elena, but she became a nun.
- ↑ “This is an error of memory in our author,” remarks one of his compatriots, “since he has not mentioned the sculptor, Geremia, in the Life of Filarete but he has named that artist in the Life of Filippo Brunellesco, which will be found in the first volume of the present work.
- ↑ This also is an error; the work in question is the Tomb of the Saints
