asentino. As Moccio
constructed this church without vaulting, he imposed the burden of
the roof on the arcading of the columns, running a considerable risk,
for the enterprise was too bold. He also built the Church and
Convent of S. Antonio, which were at the Faenza gate before the siege
of Florence, and are now entirely in ruins. In sculpture he decorated
the gate of S. Agostino at Ancona, with many figures and ornaments
like those which are at the gate of S. Francesco in the same city. In
this church of St Agostino he also made the tomb of Fra Zenone
Vigilanti, bishop and general of the order of St Augustine, and
finally the loggia of the merchants in that city, which has from time
to time received, for one cause and another, many improvements in
modern style, and ornamentation of various descriptions. All these
things, although very much below the general level of excellence of
to-day, received considerable praise then owing to the state of
information of the time. But to return to Duccio, his works were
executed about the year of grace 1350.

Antonio, Painter of Venice.

There are many men who, through being persecuted by the envy and
oppressed by the tyranny of their fellow-citizens, have left their
native place and have chosen for a home some spot where their worth
has been recognised and rewarded, producing their works there and
taking the greatest pains to excel, in order, in a sense, to be
avenged on those by whom they have been outraged. In this way they
frequently become great men, whereas had they remained quietly at
home they might possibly have achieved little more than mediocrity in
their art. Antonio of Venice, who went to Florence, in the train of
Agnolo Gaddi, to learn painting, so far acquired the proper methods
that not only was he esteemed and loved by the Florentines, but made
much of for this talent and for his other good qualities. Then,
becoming possessed by a desire to return to his native city and enjoy
the fruits of his labours, he went back to Venice. There, having made
himself known by many things done in fresco and tempera, he was
commissioned by the Signoria to paint one of the walls of the Council
Chamber, a work which he executed with such skill and majesty that
its merits should have brought him honours and rewards; but the
rivalry, or rather the envy, of the other artists, together with the
preference accorded by some noblemen to other and alien painters,
brought about a di