PERINO DEL VAGA a painter of the Ro man school, whose true name was PERINO (or PIERO) BUONAC CORSI. He was born near Florence on June 28, 150o. Perino was first apprenticed to a druggist, but soon passed into the hands of a mediocre painter, Andrea da Ceri, and, when eleven years of age, of Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. The painter, Vaga from Toscanella, undertook to settle the boy in Rome, but first set him to work in Toscanella. Perino, when he at last reached Rome, was poor, and with no clear prospect beyond journey-work for trading decorators. He was eventually entrusted with some of the subordinate work undertaken by Raphael in the Vatican. He assisted Giovanni da Udine in the stucco and arabesque decorations of the loggie of the Vatican, and executed some of those small scriptural subjects which go by the name of "Raphael's Bible"—Raphael himself furnishing the designs. Perino's examples are : "Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac," "Jacob wrestling with the Angel," "Joseph and his Brethren," the "Hebrews crossing the Jordan," the "Fall and Capture of Jericho," "Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still," the "Birth of Christ," "His Baptism" and the "Last Supper." He also painted, after Raphael's drawings, the figures of the planets on the ceiling of the great hall of the Appartamenti Borgia. He executed many other works about Rome.
Af ter Raphael's death in 1520 he executed several works in dependently in Rome, in the churches of S. Marcello and Trinita de Monti. He then returned to Florence, where his work was much appreciated. On his return to Rome in 1523 he associated himself with Giulio Romano, and Penni, whose sister he married.
After Le Sacco di Roma in 1527 he settled in Genoa, where he was employed in decorating the Doria Palace. He ornamented the palace and frescoed historical and mythological subjects in the apartments, fanciful and graceful arabesque work, sculptural and architectural details. Among the principal works are : the "War between the Gods and Giants," "Horatius Cocles defending the Bridge," and the "Fortitude of Mutius Scaevola." He also did some work in Pisa in the Duomo and elsewhere. Finally he returned to Rome, where Paul III. allowed him a regular salary.
He worked in the Sala della Segnatura (Vatican) on the mono chrome decoration of the basement, to replace Fra Giovanni's woodwork decoration which had been destroyed in the Sacco of 1527; he was engaged in the decoration of the Sala Reale, begun by Paul III., when his health gave way, and he died on Oct. 19, 1547. He is buried in the Pantheon. (W. M. R.)