192 THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. Chap. YII. less finish or carefulness of handling, with less judicious arrangement of drapery and choice of type, the Madonna and saints of 1493 in the Belvedere gallery at Vienna illus trates the same phase in Pietro’s career. 1 Being now a permanent resident at Florence, and a candidate for employment in all the branches of his pro fession, Perugino opened a regular shop, and whilst he sold panels to distant purchasers, he painted frescos for Florentine convents. Of these the most celebrated is that of the Gesuati which contained a Brotherhood familiar with the pursuits of art. The Gesuati had built for themselves a monastery, outside the Porta a Pinti, and erected workshops for the production of painted glass. They carried on a flourishing business, and took part in almost all great undertakings during the last half of the fifteenth century. For these friars Perugino drew nume rous cartoons, and painted on wall, and on panel, deco rating two cloisters with frescos, and the convent church with two altarpieces. 2 Their establishment became for this reason doubly famous to visitors whom curiosity prompted to see the creations of a famous master, to cus tomers desirous of excellent wares. But as the imperial army advanced in 1529 to the siege of Florence, the ex posed situation of the edifice and the advantage which it might have afforded to Philip of Orange, induced the generals of the threatened city to demolish it. The fres cos were, consequently, lost; and all that remained of 1 Belvedere gallery. First floor. Room III. Ital. sell. No. 31. Wood. Virgin, and child, enthroned be tween SS. Peter and Jerom, Paul and John the Baptist. On the base of the throne are the words: “Pres- biter . Johannes . Christofori . de. Terreno . fieri fecit: MCCCCLXXXXIII.” The colour, of olive tone, is a little raw being given at one paint ing. The drapery has breadth, but the picture is not free from injury; the yellow mantle of S. Peter be ing new. The figures are life size. 2 Albertini,in his Memoriale (ub. sup. p. 17) speaks of Perugino’s works in the church, the cloisters and the convent. Vasari also gives a full des cription of this convent, and of Perugino’s frescos and altarpieces. (VI. p. 33 and foil*.) Records in the archives of S. Maria del Fiore prove that the Gesuati had the fur nishing of six glass windows in the lantern of the cupola of that church in 1466 (Guasti La Cu pola ub. sup. p. 107).
