nastery of the Order of
Camaldoli, without the Porta a Pinti, and now in ruins) many figures
that were held very beautiful, and in particular a chapel painted
entirely with his own hand, which showed how soon diligent study can
produce great works in one who labours honourably through desire of
glory.

Being summoned from Florence to Arezzo, he made in fresco, for the
Chapel of the Magi in the Church of S. Antonio, a large scene wherein
the Magi are adoring Christ; and in the Vescovado he painted the Chapel
of S. Jacopo e S. Cristofano for the family of the Ubertini. All these
works were very beautiful, Lippo showing invention in the composition of
the scenes and in the colouring, and above all because he was the first
who began to sport, so to speak, with the figures, and to awaken the
minds of those who came after him; a thing which had not even been
suggested, much less put into use, before his time.

Having afterwards wrought many works in Bologna, and a panel in Pistoia
which was passing good, he returned to Florence, where, in the year
1383, he painted the stories of S. John the Evangelist in the Chapel of
the Beccuti, in S. Maria Maggiore. On the wall of the church beside this
chapel, which is on the left hand of the principal chapel, there follow
six stories of the same Saint by the same man's hand, very well composed
and ingeniously ordered, wherein, among other things, there is very
vividly depicted a S. John who is causing his own garment to be placed
by S. Dionysius the Areopagite over some corpses, which are returning to
life in the name of Jesus Christ, to the great marvel of some who, being
present at this deed, can scarce believe their own eyes. In the figures
of the dead, likewise, there is seen very great mastery in some
foreshortenings, whereby it is clearly demonstrated that Lippo knew, and
in part grappled with, certain difficulties of the art of painting. It
was Lippo, likewise, who painted the folding leaves in the Church of S.
Giovanni--namely, those of the shrine wherein are the angels and the S.
John in relief by the hand of Andrea; and on them he wrought very
diligently in distemper stories of S. John the Baptist. And because he
also delighted in working in mosaic, in the said S. Giovanni, over the
door that leads to the Misericordia, between the windows, he made a
beginning, which was held very beautiful and the best work in mosaic
which had been made in that place up to that time; and he al