The fourth picture, apparently by another hand—possibly that of Lorenzetti
himself—is The Life of the Hermits in the wilderness of Thebais, composed
of a number of single groups in which the calm life of contemplation is
represented in the most varied manner. In front flows the Nile, and a number of
hermits are seen on its banks still subjected to earthly occupations; they catch
fish, hew wood, carry burdens to the city, etc. Higher up, in the mountains,decorative paintings, they are more estranged from the world, but the Tempter follows them in various
disguises, sometimes frightful, sometimes seducing. As a whole this composition
is constructed in the ancient manner—as in Byzantine art—several series rising
one above the other, each of equal size, and without any pretension to
perspective: the single groups, at the same time, are executed with much grace
and feeling. abstract oil paintings for sale
Next to this are six pictures of the history of S. Ranieri, and as many of
the lives of S. Efeso and S. Potito. The latter are known to have been painted
in 1392 by Spinello of Arezzo, or Spinello Aretino as he is called, of whose
work we have some fragments in the National Gallery—alas too few! Two of these
fragments are from his large frescoThe Fall of the Rebellious Angels,
painted for the church of S. Maria degli Angeli at Arezzo,art oil painting for sale, which after being
whitewashed over were rescued on the conversion of the church to secular uses.
Vasari relates that when Spinello had finished this work the devil appeared to
him in the night as horrible and deformed as in the picture, and asked him where
he had seen him in so frightful a form, and why he had treated18 him so ignominiously.
Spinello awoke from his dream with horror, fell into a state of abstraction, and
soon afterwards died. oil painting on canvas
On the third part of the south wall is represented the history of Job, in a
series of paintings which were formerly attributed to Giotto himself, though it
is now recognised that they cannot be of an earlier date than about 1370.
The Temptation of Job is by Taddeo Gaddi, and the others, painted in
1372, are probably by Francesco da Volterra—not to be confused with the
sixteenth century painter Daniele da Volterra.
The paintings on the west wall are of inferior workmanship, while those on
the north were the crowning achievement of Benozzo Gozzoli a century later. paintings reproductions
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