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Chap. XII. PIERO DI COSIMO. 425 med'a, 1 and the two rescues of'Andromeda 2 in the Uffizi, in which the compositions are rich in episodes and action, in strange dresses, panoplies, and other naturalistic details, but where also the figures are somewhat affected, paltry, and pinched. Nor is the technical handling constantly the same. Instead of colour in strata, of strong lucid impasto, instead of abrupt contrasts of key, with firm lines of demarcation in dresses, the tones are all fused vaguely into each other, so that a gaudy and glossy mist overspreads the surfaces. The landscapes, however, re main rich and precise in minutise, as if by a Ferrarese, without atmosphere, though in harmony as regards tint with the rest of the work. One might suppose that as Piero grew old he was tempted to follow in the footsteps of his own pupil Andrea del Sarto; and that his cloudi ness of contours had its origin in that way. But his mythological pictures have not invariably the character of those we have been considering. The Death of Procris in the National Gallery 3 is free from exagge ration of fancy. It is a half tempera of low key in fleshtone, done with ease, fairly select in forms, and chastened in drawing, superior in every respect to the Venus and Mars, 4 or to the earlier “Meeting of Christ and the Baptist”, in the Gallery of Berlin. 5 Vasari alone authorizes us to believe that Piero di Co- siino died in 1521. 6 1 Uffizi. Corridor, No. 28. Vas. VII. 119 (wood, oil). 2 Uffizi. No. 32. Corridor; and No. 1246. Vas. VII. 119, wood, oil. 3 National Gallery. No. 698, from the Lombardi collection. Wood, figures half the life size. 4 Berlin. Museum. No. 107.Wood. Vas. VII. 120. 5 Berlin. Museum. No. 93-Wood, small. „ 6 Vasari. VII. 123. The follow ing, noticed by Vasari, are missing. Florence. S. Marco, novitiate; a Virgin erect with the child in her arms, in oil (VII. 114). S. Spi- rito, cappella Gino Capponi; pa nel, Visitation with SS. Nicholas and Anthony, the latter in spec tacles (ib. ib. ib). Guardaroba del Duca Cosimo, a marine monster (ib. ib. 119). Fiesole. S. Fran cesco. Conception (ib. ib. 121). Rumohr speaks of a picture in the church inscribed: “Pier’ di Cosi mo, 1480” (Forsch. II. 352), but this also is not to be found, especially as Rumohr does not give the sub ject. Florence. Casa Gio. Ves pucci; Bacchanals (Vas. VII. 121),
