Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/118

to art that may be worthy of commemoration—a certain Oderigi of Agobbio, an excellent miniature painter of those times, with whom Giotto lived on terms of close friendship ; and who was therefore invited by the pope to illuminate many books for the library of the palace : but these books have in great part perished in the lapse of time. In my book of ancient drawings, I have some few remains from the hand of this artist, who was certainly a clever man, although much surpassed by Franco of Bologna, who executed many admirable works in the same manner, for the same pontiff (and which were also destined for the library of the palace), at the same time with those of Oderigi. From the hand of Franco also, I have designs, both in painting and illuminating, which may be seen in my book above cited : among others, are an eagle, perfectly well done, and a lion tearing up a tree, which is most beautiful.^[1] Of these two excellent miniaturists, Dante makes mention in the eleventh canto of the Purgatorio, in the following lines :—

Oh, dissi lui, non se’ tu Oderisi
 L’onor d’Agobbio e l’onor di quell’ arte
Che alluminare e chiamata in Parisi?
 Frate, diss’ egli, più ridon le carte,
Che pennellaggia Franco Bolognese:
 L’onor è tutto or suo, e mio in parte.^[2]

The pope having seen these works of Giotto, whose manner pleased him infinitely, commanded that he should paint subjects, from the Old and New Testaments, entirely around the walls of St. Peter’s ; and, for a commencement, the artist executed in fresco, the Angel, seven braccia high, which is now over the organ : this was followed by many other pictures, of which some have been restored in our own days, while more have been either destroyed in laying the foundations of the new walls, or have been taken from the old edifice of St. Peter’s, and set under the organ ; as is the case with a

1. Lanzi tells us that there are specimens of this master in the Malvezzi Gallery of Bologna ; see also Malvasia—Felsina Pittrice.
2.         “O!” I exclaimed,
       “Art thou not Oderigi? art not thou
       Agobbio’s glory, glory of that art
       Which they of Paris call the limner’s skill?”
        “Brother!” said he, “with tints that gayer smile,
       Bolognian Franco’s pencil lines the leaves.
       His all the honour now ; my light obscured.”— Cary.