her, also in fresco. Near the high altar between the windows
and right up to the vaulting he represented eight subjects from the
Old Testament, starting from the beginning of Genesis and selecting
the most noteworthy incidents. In the space flanking the windows to
the point where they terminate at the gallery which runs round the
inside of the church, he painted the remainder of the Old Testament
history in eight other subjects. Opposite these and corresponding
to them he painted sixteen subjects representing the deeds of Our
Lady and of Jesus Christ, while on the end wall over the principal
entrance and about the rose window above it, he painted the Ascension
and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. This work which
is most extraordinary for richness and beauty, must, in my opinion,
have astounded the people of those times, painting having been in
such blindness for so long a apace. When I saw it again in the year
1563 it seemed most beautiful, as I reflected how marvellous it was
that Cimabue should see so much light in the midst of so great
darkness. But it is worthy of note that of all these paintings those
of the vaults are much the best preserved since they are less injured
by the dust and other accidents. When these works were finished
Giovanni set about painting the walls beneath, namely those beneath
the windows, and he did some things there, but as he was summoned to
Florence on some affairs of his own, he did not pursue the task,
which was finished by Giotto many years after, as will be related
when the time comes.

Cimabue having thus returned to Florence painted in the cloister of
S. Spirito, where the whole length of wall towards the church is done
in the Byzantine style by other masters, events from the life of
Christ, in three arches, with considerable excellence of design. At
the same time, he sent to Empoli some things executed by him in
Florence, which are held in great reverence to this day in the Pieve
of that town. He next painted a picture of Our Lady for the church of
S. Maria Novella, where it hangs high up between the chapel of the
Rucellai and that of the Bardi of Vernio. The figure was of a larger
size than any which had been executed up to that time, and the angels
about it show that, although be still had the Byzantine style, he was
making, some progress towards the lineaments and methods of modern
times. The people of that day, who had never seen anything better,
considered