to his original profession, and proceed, as it were, from one and the
same source, as did the Florentine Orcagna, who was painter, sculptor,
architect, and poet, as it will be told below. Born in Florence, he
began while still a child to give attention to sculpture under Andrea
Pisano, and pursued it for some years; then, being desirous to become
abundant in invention in order to make lovely historical compositions,
he applied himself with so great study to drawing, assisted by nature,
who wished to make him universal, that having tried his hand at painting
with colours both in distemper and in fresco, even as one thing leads to
another, he succeeded so well with the assistance of Bernardo Orcagna,
his brother, that this Bernardo took him in company with himself to
paint the life of Our Lady in the principal chapel of S. Maria Novella,
which then belonged to the family of the Ricci. This work, when
finished, was held very beautiful, although, by reason of the neglect of
those who afterwards had charge of it, not many years passed before, the
roof becoming ruined, it was spoilt by the rains and thereby brought to
the condition wherein it is to-day, as it will be told in the proper
place. It is enough for the present to say that Domenico Ghirlandajo,
who repainted it, availed himself greatly of the invention put into it
by Orcagna, who also painted in fresco in the same church the Chapel of
the Strozzi, which is near to the door of the sacristy and of the
belfry, in company with Bernardo, his brother. In this chapel, to which
one ascends by a staircase of stone, he painted on one wall the glory of
Paradise, with all the Saints and with various costumes and head-dresses
of those times. On the other wall he made Hell, with the abysses,
centres, and other things described by Dante, of whom Andrea was an
ardent student. In the Church of the Servites in the same city he
painted in fresco, also with Bernardo, the Chapel of the family of
Cresci; with a Coronation of Our Lady on a very large panel in S. Pietro
Maggiore, and a panel in S. Romeo, close to the side-door. In like
manner, he and his brother Bernardo painted the outer facade of S.
Apollinare, with so great diligence that the colours in that exposed
place have been preserved marvellously vivid and beautiful up to our own
day.

[Illustration: _Alinari_

CHRIST WITH THE VIRGIN ENTHRONED

(_Detail from the_ "Paradise," _after the fresco by_ Bernardo di Cione
Orcagna. _