67.  Saint Laurence:  the church of San Lorenzo.

88.  Aunt Lapaccia:  by the death of Lippo’s father, says Vasari, he “was left a friendless orphan at the age of two . . . under the care of Mona Lapaccia, his aunt, who brought him up with very great difficulty till his eighth year, when, being no longer able to support the burden, she placed him in the Convent of the Carmelites.”

121.  The Eight:  the magistrates of Florence.

130.  Antiphonary:  the Roman Service-Book, containing all that is sung in the choir—­the antiphones, responses, etc.; it was compiled by Gregory the Great.

131. joined legs and arms to the long music-notes:  the musical notation of Lippo’s day was entirely different from ours, the notes being square and oblong and rather less suited for arms and legs than the present rounded notes.

139.  Camaldolese:  monks of Camaldoli.—­Preaching Friars:  the Dominicans.

189.  Giotto:  reviver of art in Italy, painter, sculptor, and architect (1266-1337).

196.  Herodias:  Matthew xiv.6-11.

235.  Brother Angelico:  Fra Angelico, Giovanni da Fiesole (1387-1455), flower of the monastic school of art, who was said to paint on his knees.

236.  Brother Lorenzo:  Lorenzo Monaco, of the same school.

276.  Guidi :  Tommaso Guidi, or Masaccio, nicknamed “Hulking Tom” (1401-1429). [Vasari makes him Lippo’s predecessor.  Browning followed the best knowledge of his time in making him, instead, Lippo’s pupil.  Vasari is now thought to be right.]

323.  A Saint Laurence . . . at Prato:  near Florence, where Lippi painted many saints. [Vasari speaks of a Saint Stephen painted there in the same realistic manner as Browning’s Saint Laurence, whose martyrdom of broiling to death on a gridiron affords Lippo’s powers a livelier effect.] The legend of this saint makes his fortitude such that he bade his persecutors turn him over, as he was “done on one side.”

346.  Something in Sant Ambrogio’s:  picture of the Virgin crowned with angels and saints, painted for Saint Ambrose Church, now at the Belle Arti in Florence.  Vasari says by means of it he became known to Cosimo.  Browning, on the other hand, crowns his poem with Lippo’s description of this picture as an expiation for his pranks.

354.  Saint John:  the Baptist; see reference to camel-hair, line 375 and Matthew iii. 4.

355.  Saint Ambrose:  (340-397), Archbishop of Milan.

358.  Man of Uz :  Job i. 1.

377. Iste perfecit opus:  this one completed the work.

381.  Hot cockles:  an old-fashioned game.

ANDREA DEL SARTO

(CALLED “THE FAULTLESS PAINTER”)

1855