He was born in 1412, 1 and free of his guild in 1428 ; 2 but no records allude to him before 1439, when he delivered to the authorities of the Sienna Duomo a panel of the Annun ciation, produced by the joint labour of himself and Sano di Pietro. 3 His frescos in the Spedale at Sienna, and a statue of Christ “risorio” on the high altar of the Si enna Duomo were finished almost at the same period, the first in 1441, 4 the second in 1442. 5 He was thus early devoted to the sister arts which he carried on simultane ously. We can not, however, as yet discuss his power as a sculptor, because the Christ is not in existence; but the frescos of the Spedale are in part standing, and though we miss three scenes from the story of Tobit, and a crucified Saviour between the Virgin and S. John, in the hospital chapel, 6 a companion subject to the series afterwards completed by Domenico still fills the arch above the door of the Pellegrinaio, and bears the inscription “Laurensius de Senis”. A kneeling figure, no doubt in tended for that of the founder of the hospital, occupies an advantageous position in the centre of a triple arched space, of which the vaulting retreats with some show of perspective. Near him, a ladder leads upwards to the presence of the Virgin, who awaits the hospital children climbing towards her. Another phase of the foundation’s benevolence is the distribution of alms to the right of the kneeling patron, and a third incident is delineated on his left. To say that Vecchietta is better than Dome nico in his last days, is curt but sufficient praise. The false classicism of the Roman architecture with its bas- reliefs and friezes in monochrome, the capitals of the co lumns overladen with detail, are not more calculated to satisfy a polished taste than the copious ornamentation of the dresses with their tinted model wax-borders. Faulty arrangement of figures, false perspective, feeble frames, 1 Doc. Sen. II. 367. 2 Ib.T. 49. 3 lb. II. 369—388. 4 lb. 369. 5 lb. ib. 6 Ib.ib.
