ntastic inventions and variety of composition
in the figures, and these must stand out one from another, so that they
may have strong relief, and they must come out bright in colouring and
rich in the costumes and vestments. That piece of tapestry and the
others having turned out well, his Excellency resolved to establish the
art in Florence, and caused it to be taught to some boys, who, having
grown to be men, are now executing most excellent works for the Duke.

Francesco also executed a most beautiful picture of Our Lady, likewise
in oils, which is now in the chamber of Messer Alessandro, the son of M.
Ottaviano de' Medici. For the above-named M. Pasquino Bertini he painted
on canvas yet another picture of Our Lady, with Christ and S. John as
little children, who are smiling over a parrot that they have in their
hands; which was a very pleasing and fanciful work. And for the same man
he made a most beautiful design of a Crucifix, about one braccio high,
with a Magdalene at the foot, in a manner so new and so pleasing that it
is a marvel; which design M. Salvestro Bertini lent to Girolamo Razzi,
his very dear friend, who is now Don Silvano, and two pictures were
painted from it by Carlo of Loro, who has since executed many others,
which are dispersed about Florence.

Giovanni and Piero d'Agostino Dini had erected in S. Croce, on the
right hand as one enters by the central door, a very rich chapel of
grey sandstone and a tomb for Agostino and others of their family; and
they gave the commission for the altar-piece of that chapel to
Francesco, who painted in it Christ taken down from the Cross by Joseph
of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, and at the foot the Madonna in a swoon, with
Mary Magdalene, S. John, and the other Maries. That altar-piece was
executed by Francesco with so much art and study, that not only the nude
Christ is very beautiful, but all the other figures likewise are well
disposed and coloured with relief and force; and although at first the
picture was censured by Francesco's adversaries, nevertheless it won him
a great name with men in general, and those who have painted others
after him out of emulation have not surpassed him. The same Francesco,
before he departed from Florence, painted the portrait of the
above-mentioned M. Lelio Torelli, and some other works of no great
importance, of which I know not the particulars. But, among other
things, he brought to completion a design of the Conversion of S. Pau