was learning art in Florence in his youth, he
painted in the old Church of the Temple, which stood where the old
Citadel now is, the stories of that pilgrim who was going to S. Jacopo
di Galizia, when the daughter of his host put a silver cup into his
wallet, to the end that he might be punished as a robber; but he was
rescued by S. Jacopo, who brought him back home in safety. In this
Pisano gave promise of becoming, as he did, an excellent painter.
Finally, having come to a good old age, he passed to a better life. And
Gentile, after making many works in Citta di Castello, became palsied,
and was reduced to such a state that he could no longer do anything
good; and at length, wasted away by old age, and having lived eighty
years, he died. The portrait of Pisano I have not been able to find in
any place whatsoever. Both these painters drew very well, as may be seen
in our book.

[Illustration: MEDALS OF SIGISMONDO PANDOLFO MALATESTA AND NICCOLO
PICCININO

(_After =Vittore Pisanello=. London: British Museum_)]

FOOTNOTES:

[14] It has recently been shown that Pisanello's name was not Vittore
but Antonio; see article by G. F. Hill, on p. 288, vol. xiii. of the
_Burlington Magazine_. In the translation, however, Vittore, the name
given by Vasari, will be kept.

PESELLO AND FRANCESCO PESELLI

LIVES OF PESELLO AND FRANCESCO PESELLI

[_PESELLINO, OR FRANCESCO DI PESELLO_]

PAINTERS OF FLORENCE

It is rarely wont to happen that the disciples of the best masters, if
they observe their precepts, fail to become very excellent, or, if they
do not actually surpass them, at least to equal them and to make
themselves in every way like them. For the burning zeal of imitation,
with assiduity in studying, has power to make them equal the talent of
those who show them the true method of working; wherefore the disciples
become such that they afterwards compete with their masters, and even
find it easy to outstrip them, because it is always but little labour to
add to what has been discovered by others. That this is true is proved
by Francesco di Pesello, who imitated the manner of Fra Filippo so well
that he would have surpassed him by a long way, if death had not cut him
off so prematurely. It is also known that Pesello imitated the manner of
Andrea dal Castagno; and he took so much pleasure in counterfeiting
animals, of which he kept some of all sorts alive in his house, and made
them so lifelike and vivacious