the few by his hand that are to be seen do not show much perfection; nor
is this to be wondered at, seeing that he devoted himself more to his
studies than to draughtsmanship. Yet he could express his conceptions
well enough in drawing, as may be seen from some sketches by his hand
that are in our book, in which there are drawn the Bridge of S. Angelo
and the covering that was made for it with his design in the form of a
loggia, for protection from the sun in summer and from the rain and wind
in winter. This work he was commissioned to execute by Pope Nicholas V,
who had intended to carry out many similar works throughout the whole of
Rome; but death intervened to hinder him. There is a work of Leon
Batista's in a little Chapel of Our Lady on the abutment of the Ponte
alla Carraja in Florence--namely, an altar-predella, containing three
little scenes with some perspectives, which he was much more able to
describe with the pen than to paint with the brush. In the house of the
Palla Rucellai family, also in Florence, there is a portrait of himself
made with a mirror; and a panel with rather large figures in
chiaroscuro. He also made a picture of Venice in perspective, with S.
Marco, but the figures therein were executed by other masters; and this
is one of the best examples of his painting that there are to be seen.

Leon Batista was a person of most honest and laudable ways, the friend
of men of talent, and very open and courteous to all; and he lived
honourably and like a gentleman--which he was--through the whole course
of his life. Finally, having reached a mature enough age, he passed
content and tranquil to a better life, leaving a most honourable name
behind him.

LAZZARO VASARI

LIFE OF LAZZARO VASARI

PAINTER OF AREZZO

Truly great is the pleasure of those who find one of their ancestors and
of their own family to have been distinguished and famous in some
profession, whether that of arms, or of letters, or of painting, or any
other noble calling whatsoever; and those men who find some honourable
mention of one of their forefathers in history, if they gain nothing
else thereby, have an incitement to virtue and a bridle to restrain them
from doing anything unworthy of a family which has produced illustrious
and very famous men. How great is this pleasure, as I said at the
beginning, I have experienced for myself in finding that one among my
ancestors, Lazzaro Vasari, was famous as a painter in