gave his attention to executing
little works of which I shall say nothing more. In the year 1523 came
the election of Pope Clement VII, which was the greatest of blessings
for the arts of painting and sculpture, which had been so kept down by
Adrian VI during his lifetime, that not only had nothing been executed
for him, but, as has been related in other places, not delighting in
them, or rather, holding them in detestation, he had brought it about
that no other person delighted in them, or spent money upon them, or
employed a single craftsman. Then, therefore, after the election of the
new Pontiff, Perino executed many works.

Afterwards it was proposed that Giulio Romano and Giovan Francesco,
called Il Fattore, should be made heads of the world of art in place of
Raffaello, who was dead, to the end that they might distribute the
various works to the others, according to the previous custom. But
Perino, in executing an escutcheon of the Pope in fresco over the door
of Cardinal Cesarino, after the cartoon of Giulio Romano, acquitted
himself so excellently well, that they doubted whether he would not be
preferred to themselves, because, although they were known as the
disciples of Raffaello and as the heirs to his possessions, they had not
inherited the whole of the art and grace that he used to give to his
figures with colours. Giulio and Giovan Francesco therefore made up
their minds to attach Perino to themselves; and so in the holy year of
Jubilee, 1525, they gave him Caterina, the sister of Giovan Francesco,
for wife, to the end that the perfect friendship which had been
maintained between them for so long might be converted into kinship.
Thereupon, continuing the works that he had in hand, no long time had
passed when, on account of the praises bestowed upon him for the first
work executed by him in S. Marcello, it was resolved by the Prior of
that convent and by certain heads of the Company of the Crocifisso,
which has a chapel there built by its members as a place of assembly,
that the chapel should be painted; and so they allotted this work to
Perino, in the hope of having some excellent painting by his hand.
Perino, having caused the staging to be erected, began the work; and in
the centre of the barrel-shaped vaulting he painted the scene when God,
after creating Adam, takes his wife Eve from his side. In this scene
Adam, a most beautiful naked figure painted with perfect art, is seen
lying overcome by sleep,