e Fra
Angelico to go back again, and join Baroni, saying that if he failed
them, they would prefer to postpone the work, as they looked more to
the beauty than the expense, as they always had been accustomed to do.
When every hope of obtaining Fra Angelico was lost, they gave Benozzo
Gozzoli a trial to continue Fra Giovanni's frescoes,"[60] but the
effect was not happy.

[Illustration: THE PROPHETS. (Orvieto, Cathedral.)]

Fra Angelico painted in the roof of the chapel a "Christ in Judgment,"
surrounded by a "glory" of angels. Sixteen saints and prophets are
seated on clouds with the motto: _Prophetarum laudabilis numerus_. The
Saviour in a circle of light raises His right hand on high, while the
left supports a globe on His knees. On both sides are groups of angels
in varied attitudes of adoration. The prophets stand out in pyramidal
groups on a background of gold, and are either reading or meditating
with religious calm. Rosini judges the Christ to be the work of
Benozzo Gozzoli, because it seems inferior to the prophets, which show
a grander treatment and better execution. "I think," he writes, "that
the prophets alone belong to Fra Angelico; the Christ in glory, and
the remainder to Benozzo and the others. I am led to this not only by
their different style, but the heads of the prophets, although they
are disposed one above the other, as the space demands, show the more
dignified style, and perfect execution of the Florentine monk. That
perfection ought to be seen also in the Christ, which seems to me to
be a little inferior to them."[61]

But even while admitting that the features of the Saviour have in some
parts the characteristics of Benozzo's style, we must not forget that
he derived from his master both his good and bad points, and from the
latter especially originated those peculiar defects, which are greatly
emphasized in Benozzo's works. Hence it is natural that something of
the scholar's manner should appear in that face, but it is no proof
that he has worked at it. On the contrary it is enough to prove the
impossibility of ascribing this figure to him, to glance at the head
of Christ in Benozzo's fresco in the church of St. Francis at
Montefalco, representing the meeting of St. Francis and St. Dominic.
High up on the left the Saviour raises His right hand and the Virgin
kneels at His feet. Now all the figures are absolutely wanting in
dignity and character, especially the downcast head of Christ, with