hat time--a most beautiful picture of five Loves, one of whom is
sleeping, and the others are despoiling him, one taking away his bow,
another his arrows, and the others his torch, which picture belongs to
the Lord Duke Ottavio, who holds it in great account by reason of the
excellence of Girolamo. This master has in no way fallen short of the
standard of his cousin Francesco, being a fine painter, gentle and
courteous beyond belief; and since he is still alive, there are seen
issuing from his brush other works of rare beauty, which he has
constantly in hand.

A close friend of the aforesaid Francesco Mazzuoli was Messer Vincenzio
Caccianimici, a gentleman of Bologna, who painted and strove to the best
of his power to imitate the manner of Francesco. This Vincenzio was a
very good colourist, so that the works which he executed for his own
pleasure, or to present to his friends and various noblemen, are truly
well worthy of praise; and such, in particular, is a panel-picture in
oils, containing the Beheading of S. John the Baptist, which is in the
chapel of his family in S. Petronio. This talented gentleman, by whose
hand are some very beautiful drawings in our book, died in the year
1542.

JACOPO PALMA AND LORENZO LOTTO

[Illustration: LORENZO LOTTO: THE TRIUMPH OF CHASTITY

(_Rome: Rospigliosi Gallery. Panel_)]

LIVES OF JACOPO PALMA

[_PALMA VECCHIO_]

AND LORENZO LOTTO

PAINTERS OF VENICE

So potent are mastery and excellence, even when seen in only one or two
works executed to perfection by a man in the art that he practises,
that, no matter how small these may be, craftsmen and judges of art are
forced to extol them, and writers are compelled to celebrate them and to
give praise to the craftsman who has made them; even as we are now about
to do for the Venetian Palma. This master, although not very eminent,
nor remarkable for perfection of painting, was nevertheless so careful
and diligent, and subjected himself so zealously to the labours of art,
that a certain proportion of his works, if not all, have something good
in them, in that they are close imitations of life and of the natural
appearance of men.

[Illustration: JACOPO PALMA (PALMA VECCHIO): S. BARBARA

(_Venice: S. Maria Formosa. Panel_)]

Palma was much more remarkable for his patience in harmonizing and
blending colours than for boldness of design, and he handled colour with
extraordinary grace and finish. This may be