pel of Ramazzotto, a faction-leader in Romagna. In a
chapel in S. Stefano the same master painted two saints in fresco, with
some little angels of considerable beauty in the sky; and in S. Jacopo,
for Messer Annibale del Corello, a chapel in which he represented the
Circumcision of Our Lord, with a number of figures, above which, in a
lunette, he painted Abraham sacrificing his son to God. This work, in
truth, was executed in a good and able manner. For the Misericordia,
without Bologna, he painted a little panel-picture in distemper of Our
Lady and some saints; with many pictures and other works, which are in
the hands of various persons in that city.

This master, in truth, was above mediocrity both in the uprightness of
his life and in his works, and he was superior to the others in drawing
and invention, as may be seen from a drawing in our book, wherein is
Jesus Christ, as a boy, disputing with the Doctors in the Temple, with a
building executed with good mastery and judgment. In the end, he
finished his life at the age of fifty-eight.

He had always been much envied by Amico of Bologna, an eccentric man of
extravagant brain, whose figures, executed by him throughout all Italy,
but particularly in Bologna, where he spent most of his time, are
equally eccentric and even mad, if one may say so. If, indeed, the vast
labour which Amico devoted to drawing had been pursued with a settled
object, and not by caprice, he might perchance have surpassed many whom
we regard as rare and able men. And even so, such is the value of
persistent labour, that it is not possible that out of a mass of work
there should not be found some that is good and worthy of praise; and
such, among the vast number of works that this master executed, is a
facade in chiaroscuro on the Piazza de' Marsigli, wherein are many
historical pictures, with a frieze of animals fighting together, very
spirited and well executed, which is almost the best work that he ever
painted. He painted another facade at the Porta di S. Mammolo, and a
frieze round the principal chapel of S. Salvatore, so extravagant and so
full of absurdities that it would provoke laughter in one who was on the
verge of tears. In a word, there is no church or street in Bologna
which has not some daub by the hand of this master.

In Rome, also, he painted not a little; and in S. Friano, at Lucca, he
filled a chapel with inventions fantastic and bizarre, among which are
some things worthy