Cornaro was ever carried into
effect. Giovan Maria was a fine talker, pleasant and agreeable in
conversation, and very acute in repartee, insomuch that Cornaro used to
declare that a whole book could have been made with his sayings. And
since, although he was crippled by gout, he lived cheerfully, he
preserved his life to the age of seventy-six, dying in 1534.

He had six daughters, five of whom he gave in marriage himself, and the
sixth was married by her brothers, after his death, to Bartolommeo
Ridolfi of Verona, who executed many works in stucco in company with
them, and was a much better master than they were. This may be seen from
his works in many places, and in particular at Verona, in the house of
Fiorio della Seta on the Ponte Nuovo, in which he decorated some
apartments in a very beautiful manner. There are others in the house of
the noble Counts Canossi, which are amazing; and such, also, are those
that he executed in the house of the Murati, near S. Nazzaro; and for
Signor Giovan Battista della Torre, for Cosimo Moneta, the Veronese
banker, at his beautiful villa, and for many others in various places,
all works of great beauty. Palladio, most excellent of architects,
declares that he knows no person more marvellous in invention or better
able to adorn apartments with beautiful designs in stucco, than this
Bartolommeo Ridolfi. Not many years since, Spitech Giordan, a nobleman
of great authority with the King of Poland, took Bartolommeo with him to
that King; and there, enjoying an honourable salary, he has executed, as
he still does, many works in stucco, large portraits, medallions, and
many designs for palaces and other buildings, with the assistance of a
son of his own, who is in no way inferior to his father.

[Illustration: GIROLAMO DAI LIBRI: MADONNA AND CHILD, WITH S. ANNE

(_London: National Gallery, 748. Canvas_)]

The elder Francesco dai Libri of Verona lived some time before Liberale,
although it is not known exactly at what date he was born; and he was
called "Dai Libri"[9] because he practised the art of illuminating
books, his life extending from the time when printing had not yet been
invented to the very moment when it was beginning to come into use.
Since, therefore, there came to him from every quarter books to
illuminate--a work in which he was most excellent--he was known by no
other surname than that of "Dai Libri"; and he executed great numbers of
them, for the reason that whoever w