man painted the Passing of Our
Lady, who is surrounded by the Apostles in very beautiful attitudes,
among whom are six figures portrayed so well from life, that those
who knew them declare that these are most vivid likenesses. In the
same work he also made his own portrait, and that of Domenico
Garganelli, the owner of the chapel, who, when it was finished, moved by
the love that he bore to Ercole and by the praises that he heard given
to the work, bestowed upon him a thousand lire in Bolognese currency. It
is said that Ercole spent twelve years in labouring at this work; seven
in executing it in fresco, and five in retouching it on the dry. It is
true, indeed, that during this time he painted some other works; and in
particular, so far as is known, the predella of the high-altar of S.
Giovanni in Monte, in which he wrought three scenes of the Passion of
Christ.

[Illustration: THE ISRAELITES GATHERING MANNA

(_After the panel by =Ercole Ferrarese=. London: National Gallery,
1217_)

_Mansell_]

Ercole was eccentric in character, particularly in his custom of
refusing to let any man, whether painter or not, see him at work;
wherefore he was greatly hated in Bologna by the painters of that city,
who have ever borne an envious hatred to the strangers who have been
summoned to work there; nay, they sometimes show the same among
themselves out of rivalry with each other, although this may be said to
be the particular vice of the professors of these our arts in every
place. Certain Bolognese painters, then, having come to an agreement one
day with a carpenter, shut themselves up by his help in the church,
close to the chapel where Ercole was working; and when night came,
breaking into it by force, they did not content themselves with seeing
the work, which should have sufficed them, but carried off all his
cartoons, sketches, and designs, and every other thing of value that was
there. At this Ercole fell into such disdain that when the work was
finished he departed from Bologna, without stopping another day there,
taking with him Duca Tagliapietra, a sculptor of much renown, who carved
the very beautiful foliage in marble which is in the parapet in front of
the chapel wherein Ercole painted the said work, and who afterwards made
all the stone windows of the Ducal Palace at Ferrara, which are most
beautiful. Ercole, therefore, weary at length of living away from home,
remained ever after in company with this man in Ferrar