the appearance of being carved in relief in
the panel. Thus, painting a frame all round, he made an ornament for
the figure in the middle; and he did the same for our S. Vincent,
and for the S. Mark that will be described after the S. Vincent. For
the arch of a door leading into the sacristy, he painted in oils, on
wood, a figure of S. Vincent, a brother of that Order, representing
him in the act of preaching on the Judgment, so that there may be
perceived in his gestures, and particularly in his head, that
vehemence and fury which are generally seen in the faces of
preachers, when they are doing their utmost, with threats of the
vengeance of God, to lead men hardened in sin into the perfect life;
in such a manner that this figure appears, to one who studies it
with attention, to be not painted but real and alive, with such
strong relief is it executed; and it is a pity that it is all
cracking and spoiling, on account of its having been painted with
fresh coats of colour on fresh size, as I said of the works of
Pietro Perugino in the Convent of the Ingesuati.

The fancy took him, in order to show that he was able to make large
figures--for he had been told that his manner was that of a
miniaturist--to paint on panel, for the wall in which is the door of
the choir, a figure of S. Mark the Evangelist, five braccia in
height, and executed with very good draughtsmanship and supreme
excellence.

After this, Salvadore Billi, a Florentine merchant, on his return
from Naples, having heard the fame of Fra Bartolommeo, and having
seen his works, caused him to paint a panel-picture of Christ the
Saviour, in allusion to his own name, with the four Evangelists
round Him; wherein, at the foot, are also two little boys upholding
the globe of the world, whose flesh, fresh and tender, is
excellently painted, as is the whole work, in which there are
likewise two prophets that are much extolled. This panel stands in
the Nunziata at Florence, below the great organ, according to the
wish of Salvadore; it is a very beautiful work, finished by Fra
Bartolommeo with much lovingness and great perfection; and it is
surrounded by an ornament of marble, all carved by the hand of
Pietro Rosselli.

Afterwards, having need of a change of air, the Prior at that time,
who was his friend, sent him away to a monastery of his Order,
wherein, while he stayed there, he combined the labour of his hands
with the contemplation of death, with profit[16] bot