Now Francesco, reflecting that he had to execute this work, not only in a place of great publicity, but one in which there were paintings by men of the highest eminence, Raffaello da Urbino, II Rosso, Baldassare da Siena, and others, gave his utmost attention to the same; and, painting it in oil on the wall, he spared no pains or study to bring it to perfection, for which cause he succeeded in producing a picture which has been highly extolled, and is, indeed, a very beautiful one.[1] Among other figures therein, one (with the hands joined) is the Portrait of the above-named Maestro Filippo, and is justly held to be most excellent. And now, as Francesco was in the service of Cardinal Salviati, as we have said, and was known to be his creature, he began to be called Cecchino[2] Salviati; and being soon known by no other name, he retained that appellation to the day of his death.
Pope Clement VII. being now dead, and having been succeeded by Pope Paul III., Messer Bindo Altoviti caused the Arms of the new Pontiff to be painted on the front of his house near the Bridge of Sant’ Agnolo; the commission for that work was given to Francesco, wdio executed the same, together with certain nude figures of vast size, in so good a manner, that he gave infinite satisfaction. He took the Portrait of the aforesaid Messer Bindo likewise, about the same period, and this also was a very good figure, as well as a fine likeness: it was subsequently sent to Altoviti’s Villa,[3] at San Mizzano, in the Valdarno, where it still remains.
At a subsequent period, Francesco painted an exceedingly beautiful picture in oil for the Church of San Francesco a Ripa; this work, the subject of which is an Annunciation of Our Lady, he finished with extraordinary care.
On the occasion of the Emperor’s arrival at Rome also, in the year 1.585; he painted certain stories in chiaro-scuro for Antonio San Gallo; these were placed in the Arch erected
- ↑ The work here described having suffered very greatly, was ultimately replaced by one in stucco.— Bottari.
- ↑ Cecchino is the diminutive of “Cecco,” the Italian ‘‘ Frank.”
- ↑ This portrait is lost, but a German commentator remarks that it might be discovered by seeking among the protraits attributed to Francesco, and comparing that most likely to be the work in question with one of Altoviti, by Raphael, now in the Pinecotheca at Munich, and which was long considered to be the likeness of Raphael himself.
