e was too much wrapped up in comforts and
pleasures. And he did the same to M. Filippo da Siena, Clerk of the
Chamber, for whom he began a scene in oils on the wall above the
high-altar of the Pace at Rome, and never finished it; wherefore the
friars, in despair about it, were obliged to take away the staging,
which obstructed their church, to cover the work with a cloth, and to
have patience for as long as the life of Sebastiano lasted. After his
death, the friars uncovered the work, and it was found that what he had
done was most beautiful painting, for the reason that in the part where
he represented Our Lady visiting S. Elizabeth, there are many women
portrayed from life that are very beautiful, and painted with consummate
grace. But it may be seen here that this man endured extraordinary
labour in all the works that he produced, and that he was not able to
execute them with that facility which nature and study are wont at times
to give to him who delights in working and exercises his hand
continually. And of the truth of this there is also a proof in the same
Pace, in the Chapel of Agostino Chigi, where Raffaello had executed the
Sibyls and Prophets; for Sebastiano, wishing to paint some things on the
stone in the niche that remained to be painted below, in order to
surpass Raffaello, caused it to be incrusted with peperino-stone, the
joinings being filled in with fired stucco; but he spent so much time on
cogitations that he left the wall bare, for, after it had remained thus
for ten years, he died.

It is true that a few portraits from life could be obtained with ease
from Sebastiano, because he could finish these with more facility and
promptitude; but it was quite otherwise with stories and other figures.
To tell the truth, the painting of portraits from life was his proper
vocation, as may be seen from the portrait of Marc' Antonio Colonna,
which is so well executed that it seems to be alive, and also from those
of Ferdinando, Marquis of Pescara, and of Signora Vittoria Colonna,
which are very beautiful. He likewise made a portrait of Adrian VI when
he first arrived in Rome, and one of Cardinal Hincfort. That Cardinal
desired that Sebastiano should paint for him a chapel in S. Maria de
Anima at Rome; but he kept putting him off from one day to another, and
the Cardinal finally had it painted by the Fleming Michael, his
compatriot, who painted there in fresco stories from the life of S.
Barbara, imitating our I