that of
Pordenone, dismissed the latter, and summoned in his place Domenico
Beccafumi of Siena, an excellent painter and a rarer master than
Pordenone. And he, glad to serve so great a Prince, did not scruple to
leave his native city of Siena, where there are so many marvellous works
by his hand; but he did not paint more than one single scene in that
palace, because Perino brought everything to completion by himself.

Giovanni Antonio then returned to Venice, where he was given to
understand that Ercole, Duke of Ferrara, had brought a great number of
masters from Germany, and had caused them to begin to make fabrics in
silk, gold, floss-silk, and wool, for his own use and pleasure, but that
he had no good designers of figures in Ferrara, since Girolamo da
Ferrara had more ability for portraits and separate things than for
difficult and complicated scenes, which called for great power of art
and design; and that he should enter the service of that Prince.
Whereupon, desiring to gain fame no less than riches, he departed from
Venice, and on reaching Ferrara was received with great warmth by the
Duke. But a little time after his arrival, being attacked by a most
grievous affliction of the chest, he took to his bed with the doom of
death upon him, and, growing continually worse and finding no remedy,
within three days or little more he finished the course of his life, at
the age of fifty-six. This seemed a strange thing to the Duke, and also
to Pordenone's friends; and there were not wanting men who for many
months believed that he had died of poison. The body of Giovanni Antonio
was buried with honour, and his death was a grief to many, particularly
in Venice, for the reason that he was ready of speech and the friend and
companion of many, and delighted in music; and his readiness and grace
of speech came from his having given attention to the study of Latin. He
always made his figures grand, and was very rich in invention, and so
versatile that he could imitate everything very well; but he was, above
all, resolute and most facile in works in fresco.

A disciple of Pordenone was Pomponio Amalteo of San Vito, who won by his
good qualities the honour of becoming the son-in-law of his master. This
Pomponio, always following that master in matters of art, has acquitted
himself very well in all his works, as may be seen at Udine from the
doors of the new organ, painted in oils, on the outer side of which is
Christ driving the