besides the panel of the high-altar in the Duomo, and another panel
in S. Francesco. But the best painting that Niccolo ever did was in
a chapel in the Duomo, where, among other things, there is a
Pieta, with two angels who are holding two torches and weeping so
naturally, that I do not believe that any other painter, however
excellent, would have been able to do much better. In the same place
he also painted the facade of S. Maria degli Angeli, besides many
other works of which there is no need to make mention, it being
enough to have touched on the best. And let this be the end of the
Life of Pinturicchio, who, besides his other qualities, gave no
little satisfaction to many princes and lords because he finished
and delivered his works quickly, which is their pleasure, although
such works are perchance less excellent than those that are made
slowly and deliberately.

FOOTNOTE:

[1] Pietro Perugino.

[2] This seems to be an error for Calistus III.

FRANCESCO FRANCIA

[Illustration: MEDALS

(_London: British Museum_)

1. ULISSE MUSOTTI 3. FRANCESCO ALIDOSI
2. GIOVANNI II BENTIVOGLIO 4. BERNARDO ROSSI
(_After_ Francesco Francia) (_After_ a pupil of Francesco Francia)]

LIFE OF FRANCESCO FRANCIA

GOLDSMITH AND PAINTER OF BOLOGNA

Francesco Francia, who was born in Bologna in the year 1450, of
parents who were artisans, but honest and worthy enough, was
apprenticed in his earliest boyhood to the goldsmith's art, in which
calling he worked with intelligence and spirit; and as he grew up he
became so well proportioned in person and appearance, and so sweet and
pleasant in manner and speech, that he was able to keep the most
melancholy of men cheerful and free from care with his talk; for which
reason he was beloved not only by all those who knew him, but also by
many Italian princes and other lords. While working as a goldsmith,
then, he gave attention to design, in which he took so much pleasure,
that his mind began to aspire to higher things, and he made very great
progress therein, as may be seen from many works in silver that he
executed in his native city of Bologna, and particularly from certain
most excellent works in niello. In this manner of work he often put
twenty most beautiful and well-proportioned little figures within a
space no higher than the breadth of two fingers and not much more in
length. He also enamelled many works in silver, which were dest