vina, and which are not well done; this arose from the fact that he never devoted himself to his art with the love and diligence required to ensure success, but thought only of squandering the property and possessions of his father and grandfather. This Vittorio ultimately repaired to Ascoli, whither he had been suinmoned to serve as architect under Pope Paul III, and where he was murdered in the night by one of his servants, who had planned to rob him. Thus the family of Lorenzo Ghiberti became extinct, but not so his fame, which will endure to all eternity.*

But let us return to our artist, during his lifetime he gave his attention to various branches of art, and took delight in painting and working in glass. It was by him that the rose-windows around the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore were made, one only excepted, that namely in which is represented Christ crowning the Virgin, and this is from the hand of Donato. The three windows above the principal door of Santa Maria del Fiore are likewise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, with all those of the chapels and tribunes,† as well as the rose window in the façade of Santa Croce. This master also made a window for the principal chapel of the capitular church of Arezzo; on it is represented the Coronation of Our Lady, with two other figures, all which were done for Lazzaro di Feo‡ di Baccio, a very rich merchant of that city; but as all these windows were made of Venetian glass of very dark colour, they tend rather to obscure than to enlighten the buildings wherein they are constructed. Lorenzo was appointed to assist Brunellesco, when the latter received the commission for the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore, but this arrangement was afterwards altered, as will be related in the life of that master. The same Lorenzo wrote a book in the vulgar-tongue, wherein Lorenzo Adamı. The three others passed into the possession of the Signori Nerli, "and were presented by them to the Academy of Fine Arts in Siena," remarks Masselli; but a note to the latest Florentine edition (that of 1849) closes the account of these torsi with the following words:-"The fate of the last three is unknown to us."

*Baldinucci denies that the family of Lorenzo became extinct in this Vittorio. See his third volume, p. 49.

†The windows designed for Santa Maria del Fiore by Ghiberti, were six, as he tells us himself, in his Commentario.-Ed. Flor. 1846-9.

Bottari corrects this name, which he says should be Lazzaro di Giovanni di Feo de' Bracci, according to the Aretine archives. The window has for some time past been destroyed.

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he discoursed of many and various matters, but in such sort that but little profit can be derived from it. The only thing good that there is in the book, according to my judgment, is the fact, that after speaking of many ancient painters, more particularly of those cited by Pliny, he makes a brief mention of Cimabue, Giotto, and many others of those times, but this he does with much more brevity than was fitting, and that for no better reason than to give himself the opportunity of falling with a good grace into discourse concerning himself, and enumerating as he does, with the most minute description, all his own works one after another. Nor will I conceal that he seems to intimate that this book is made by others, but in the course of the work, discoursing of himself (like a man better versed in making designs, in working with his chisel, and in casting bronze then in the weaving of stories), he speaks in the first person, and says "I made", "I said", "I was doing", and "I was saying."* Finally, having attained the sixtyfourth year of his life, Ghiberti was attacked by a violent and continuous fever, of which he died,† leaving an eternal memorial of his existence in his works, as well as in the writings of authors: he was honourably interred in Santa Croce. The portrait of Lorenzo is on the principal bronze door of San Giovanni; it is seen in the centre when the doors are closed, among the decorations of the border; the head is bald, and beside this portrait of Ghiberti is that of Bartoluccio, his father; near them are the following words :

"LAURENTII CIONIS DI GHIBERTIS MIRA ARTE FABRICATUM.”‡ The drawings of Lorenzo are most excellent, and have much relief, as may be seen in our book of collected designs, from an Evangelist by his hand, as well as from some other figures in chiaro-scuro, which are truly beautiful.

Bartoluccio also, the father§ of Lorenzo, drew moderately well, as is shown by another Evangelist from his hand, in the same book, but which is considerably inferior to that of

* This work of Ghiberti (manuscript) is in Florence, in the Magliabecchiana Library.

† The death of Lorenzo took place in the year 1455, when he must have been seventy-five, or, as some writers say, seventy-seven years old.

-Ed. Flor. 1846-9.

The tomb of Ghiberti is not now to be found.-Ibid. § Step-father.

Lorenzo. These drawings, with some by Giotto and other
masters, I received in the year 1528, while still but a youth,
from Vittorio Ghiberti. I have always held, and still hold
them in high estimation, for their own merits as well as from
reverence to the memory of men so distinguished. But if at
the time when I lived in close intimacy and continual inter-
course with Vittorio, I had known as much as I now know,
I could easily have gained possession of many other things
by Lorenzo, which were very fine. Many verses, both in
Latin and Italian, have been made at different times in praise
of Lorenzo; but of all these, that I may be the less wearisome
to my reader, it shall suffice me to repeat the following :-
"Dum cernit valvas aurato ex ære nitentes

In templo Michael Angelus, obstupuit:
Attonitusque diu, sic alta silentia rupit:
O divinum opus! O janua digna polo!"

MASOLINO DA PANICALE, PAINTER, OF FLORENCE. [BORN ABOUT 1403-DIED ABOUT 1440.]

THE happiness of those who approach the highest point of the science in which they labour to attain perfection, must in my opinion be very great, more especially when, in addition to the satisfaction assured to all who strive conscientiously, they perceive themselves to derive some benefit from their labours. Such men, without doubt, lead a most peaceful and happy life. And if it happen that one whose days are thus occupied in the upright endeavour to reach the true end of his existence and acquire the perfection to which he aspires, should be suddenly surprised by death, yet his memory does not become wholly extinct, if he have indeed meritoriously striven to advance on the true path. Therefore every one should do his utmost to reach perfection, for even though he should be cut off in the midst of his career, his fame will be secured and he will receive praise, if not for the works that he has been unable to finish, yet certainly for the upright

intention and earnest study which will be perceived and acknowledged in the little that he may have completed.*

Masolino da Panicale of Valdelsa, was a disciple of Lorenzo di Bartoluccio Ghiberti, and in his early years was a very good worker in gold: among all those who assisted Lorenzo in the labour of the doors of San Giovanni, Masolino was the most efficient as respected the draperies of the figures, in the finishing of which he displayed great ability and an excellent manner in the use of the chisel also his intelligence and judgment was evinced in the softness and perfection of roundness which he imparted to the human form, as well as to the vestments. At the age of nineteen Masolino attached himself to painting, and to this art his life was ever afterwards devoted: he acquired the principles of colouring under Gherardo della Starnina,† and having repaired to Rome for the purpose of studying there, he painted the hall of the ancient palace of the Orsini family in Monte Giordano, while dwelling in that city. But his health being injured by the air of Rome, which painfully affected his head, he returned to Florence, where, in the church of the Carmine, he painted the figure of San Piero beside the chapel of the Crucifixion, a work which is still to be seen in that place. This San Piero was greatly commended by contemporary artists, and caused Masolino to receive a commission for painting the chapel of the Brancacci family, in the same church. Here he depicted stories from the life of St. Peter, and part of these he completed with equal zeal and success the four Evangelists on the ceiling, namely, § the story of Christ calling Andrew and Peter from their nets, that which depicts the repentance of the latter for the sin he had committed in denying his master, and the preaching of the same apostle for the conversion of the Gentiles. By Masolino is likewise the *For certain details relating to Masolino, see Lanzi, History of Painting, vol. i, p. 75. See also Rumohr, Ital. Forsch. ii, 245.

So that the first master of the day, as regarded composition, was Masolino's instructor in that department of his art; and the first colourist his teacher in colouring. See Lanzi, ut supra. But the later Florentine editors question the fact of Masolino's having received instruction from Starnina.

It is no longer there, having been destroyed, together with the San Paolo of Masaccio, in the year 1675, when the chapel of Sant' Andrea Corsini was constructed.-Schorn.

§ These paintings of the ceiling have been restored.—Ibid.

story representing the shipwreck of the Apostles, with that of St. Peter raising his daughter Petronilla from the dead, and in this he pourtrayed the last-named apostle going with St. John to the temple, and finding the sick beggar in the portico, whom, when he implored an alms, not being able to bestow either gold or silver, St. Peter liberates from his infirmity by making the sign of the cross. All the figures of this work are painted in a very grand manner and with much grace they exhibit, moreover, great softness and harmony in the colouring, with considerable force of design. The entire work was infinitely admired for much in it that was new, many considerations having been kept in view by Masolino, which were wholly foreign to the manner of Giotto; but this undertaking remained incomplete, because the master was overtaken by death.*

Masolino da Panicale was a man of admirable genius, and his works, which it is manifest that he executed throughout with infinite love and care, are distinguished by their harmony and facility. His too zealous study and the fatigues to which he perpetually subjected himself, so weakened his frame that confirmed ill health ensued his life was prematurely terminated, and the world was cruelly deprived of this master while he was still but at the early age of thirty-seven: thus were cut short the hopes and expectations which had been conceived by all from his labours. The paintings of Masolino da Panicale date about the year 1440.‡

Paolo Schiavo, who painted the figure of the Virgin at the corner of the Gori, § took great pains to imitate the manner of

Some of the commentators assert that the unfinished paintings of Masolino were completed by Massaccio and Filippino. Others maintain that he finished those he commenced; but not surviving to accomplish all the pictures proposed for the chapel of the Brancacci, those he left to be commenced, were afterwards executed by the above-named

masters.

† Among the few works of Masolino remaining, is one-attributed to this master-in the Royal Gallery of Berlin; with a second in that of Schleisheim. The subject of the former is St. Helena, standing on the sea-shore, and superintending the reception of corn for the wants of the people; the latter is the Salutation of the Virgin.

Or, according to some writers, between 1405 and 1418; but a comparison of the whole question, appears to shew that Vasari's date is the more probable one.

§ Now called the Cantonelli, a corruption of Canto de' Nelli, which is near. This painting is still to be seen, or rather was to be seen-for it