that family, he did in fresco many stories of St Anthony
the abbot and of St Nicholas the bishop, in such a good style that
they attracted the attention of certain Spaniards then staying in
Florence on business, and ultimately led to his being invited to
Spain to their king, who saw and received him very gladly, there
being at that time a great lack of good painters in that country. Nor
was it a difficult matter to induce Gherardo to leave his country,
for as he had had hard words with some men after the affair of the
Ciompi and the appointment of Michele di Lando as gonfaloniere, he
was in considerable danger of his life. Accordingly he went to Spain
and did many things for the king there, and became rich and honoured
by the great rewards which he earned for his labours. At length
becoming desirous of showing himself to his friends in his improved
estate, he returned home and was warmly welcomed and received in a
very friendly manner by all his fellow-citizens. It was not long
before he was employed to paint the chapel of St Jerome in the
Carmine, where he did many stories of that saint, and in the story of
Paul, Eustace and Jerome he represented some of the Spanish habits of
the day with very happy invention and an abundance of fashions and
ideas in the attitudes of the figures. Among other things, in a scene
where St Jerome is receiving his earliest instruction, he represented
a master who has caused one boy to mount upon the back of another and
strikes him with the whip in such a manner that the poor child is
twisting his legs with pain and appears to be crying out and trying
to bite the ear of the boy who is holding him. The whole is executed
with much grace and lightness, and Gherardo appears to have delighted
in these touches of nature. In like manner, when St Jerome, being at
the point of death, is making his will, he has hit off some friars in
a delightful and realistic manner, for some are writing, others
listening attentively and looking about, observing all the words of
their master with great earnestness. This work won Stamina much fame
and a high rank among artists, and his courteous and mild manners
gave him a great reputation, so that his name was famous throughout
Tuscany and indeed in all Italy. Being at this time invited to Pisa to
paint the chapter-house of S. Niccola in that city, he sent in his
place Antonio Vite of Pistoia, because he did not wish to leave
Florence. Antonio, who had learned Stamina