iena, who had executed several facades of
houses in chiaroscuro, and of giving their attention thenceforward to
that sort of work, which by that time had come into fashion.

They began one, therefore, on Montecavallo, opposite to S. Silvestro, in
company with Pellegrino da Modena, which encouraged them to make further
efforts to see whether this should be their profession; and they went on
to execute another opposite to the side-door of S. Salvatore del Lauro,
and likewise painted a scene by the side-door of the Minerva, with
another, which is a frieze of marine monsters, above S. Rocco a Ripetta.
And during this first period they painted a vast number of them
throughout all Rome, but not so good as the others; and there is no need
to mention them here, since they afterwards did better work of that
sort. Gaining courage, therefore, from this, they began to study the
antiquities of Rome, counterfeiting the ancient works of marble in their
works in chiaroscuro, so that there remained no vase, statue,
sarcophagus, scene, or any single thing, whether broken or entire, which
they did not draw and make use of. And with such constancy and
resolution did they give their minds to this pursuit, that they both
acquired the ancient manner, the work of the one being so like that of
the other, that, even as their minds were guided by one and the same
will, so their hands expressed one and the same knowledge. And although
Maturino was not as well assisted by Nature as Polidoro, so potent was
the faithful imitation of one style by the two in company, that,
wherever either of them placed his hand, the work of both one and the
other, whether in composition, expression, or manner, appeared to be the
same.

In the Piazza di Capranica, on the way to the Piazza Colonna, they
painted a facade with the Theological Virtues, and a frieze of very
beautiful invention beneath the windows, including a draped figure of
Rome representing the Faith, and holding the Chalice and the Host in her
hands, who has taken captive all the nations of the earth; and all
mankind is flocking up to bring her tribute, while the Turks, overcome
at the last, are shooting arrows at the tomb of Mahomet; all ending in
the words of Scripture, "There shall be one fold and one Shepherd." And,
indeed, they had no equals in invention; of which we have witness in all
their works, abounding in personal ornaments, vestments, foot-wear, and
things bizarre and strange, and executed