cenes and a crucifix with a Tree of the
Cross. This remained unfinished, and is drawn, as may be seen to-day,
in red with the brush on the rough wall. This method was favoured by
the old masters in order to work in fresco with greater rapidity, for
after they had sectioned out all their work on the rough wall, they
drew it with the brush, following a small design which served as a
guide, increasing this to the proper size, and this done they at once
set to work. That many other works were painted in the same manner as
this is seen in those cases where the work has peeled off, the design
in red remaining on the rough wall. But to return to Lippo. He drew
very fairly, as may be seen in our book, in a hermit with his legs
crossed. He survived Simone twelve years, doing many things for all
parts of Italy, but especially two pictures in S. Croce at Florence.
As the style of the two brothers is somewhat similar, their works may
be distinguished thus: Simone wrote at the bottom of his: _Simonis
Memmi Senensis opus_; Lippo omitted his surname and careless of his
Latinity wrote: _Opus Memmi de Seals me fecit_. On the wall of the
chapter-house of S. Maria Novella, besides the portraits of Petrarch
and Laura mentioned above by Simone's hand, are those of Cimabue,
Lapo the architect, Arnolfo his son, and Simone himself, the Pope
being a portrait of Benedict XI. of Treviso, a friar preacher, whose
figure had been given to Simone by his master Giotto, when the latter
returned from the Pope's court at Avignon. In the same place, next to
the Pope, he portrayed the Cardinal Niccola da Prato, who had at that
time come to Florence as the Pope's legate, as Giov. Villani relates
in his "History." Over Simone's tomb was set the following epitaph:
"_Simoni Memmio pictorum omnium omnis aetatis celeberrimo, Vixit ann.
ix. metis ii. d. iii_." As may be seen in our book, Simone did not
excel greatly in design, but was naturally full of invention and was
very fond of drawing from life. In this he was considered the best
master of his time, so that the lord Pandolfo Malatesta sent him to
Avignon to make the portrait of M. Francesco Petrarch, at whose
request he afterwards made the much admired portrait of Madonna
Laura.

Taddeo Gaddi, Painter of Florence.

It is a truly useful and admirable task to reward talent largely at
every opportunity, because great abilities which would otherwise lie
dormant, are excited by this stimulus and endea