freely presented to Fontana the whole sum in question. These things have caused him to be much beloved among the artists, who speak of and honour him as a father.
But to say something more of Fontana. This artist was employed in Rome, to his great credit, by Pope Julius III.; first at the Palace of the Vigna Julia, and next at that of the Campo Marzio, which was then in the possession of the Signor Balduino Monti,[1] but is now in that of the Signor Cardinal, Ernando de’ Medici, son of the Duke Cosimo. In Bologna he has produced many works in oil and fresco, more particularly in the Church of the Madonna del Baracane, where there is a picture in oil by his hand of St. Catherine disputing with the philosophers and doctors in the presence of the tyrant, which is considered an exceedingly beautiful work.[2] Fontana has likewise executed several pictures in fresco in the principal chapel of the Palace, inhabited by the Grovernor.
The excellent painter, Lorenzo Sabatini, has also been much befriended by Primaticcio, who, knowing the excellence of his manner, and the great facility of which his many works in Bologna present full proof, would have taken him to France, had he not been burdened with so large a family, but he has a wife and several children. In the year 1566 Vasari availed himself of Lorenzo’s services for the preparations made in Florence at the marriage of the Prince with the Queen Joanna of Austria, employing him to execute six figures in fresco between the Great Hall and the Hall of the Dugento; beautiful figures they are, and truly worthy of praise. But since this able painter is still making progress I will say no more, except that the studies in which he is known to pass his time give promise of much future excellence.[3]
And now, speaking of the Abbot and of other Bolognese artists, I will take the opportunity of mentioning Pellegrino,[4] a painter of admirable genius, and one who gives the highest hopes. In his first years he studied the works of Vasari in the Refectory of San Michele-in-Bosco at Bologna, with those of other masters in good repute; and in the year 1547
- ↑ Pope Julius III. was a Monti.
- ↑ This picture is still in the Church.
- ↑ For the Life of this artist see Malvasia, Felsina Pittrice. The six figures of the vestibule still remain, but are much injured by the dust which covers them.
- ↑ Pelligrino Tibaldi, already mentioned in vol. iv. of the present work.
