(Ill. XVII.). No design on the Pavement attracts so much attention as this. The bold, vigorous outlines of the white figures set against the black marble background, the vivid and forcible composition of the picture, and the remarkably decorative foliage of the two trees, almost Japanese in character, from one of which Absalom is hanging, arrest the eye and the attention of even the most casual visitor. We find a notice in the Archivio dell’ Opera,[109] stating that it was commenced after the 11th of July, 1447, during the Rectorship of Giovanni Borghesi, and while Pietro di Tommaso Minella was Capo-maestro. The design of it is generally attributed to Minella himself, and from the high merit of its conception and composition this is very probable, but there are no records to prove more than that he superintended its execution. Tizio[110] includes it in the list of works to which he gives the date 1424, but this, as I have already pointed out, is an obvious mistake. Below these two designs we come to another fine large picture, similar to those in the North Transept. It represents _The Story of Jephthah’s Victory, and the Sacrifice of his Daughter_ (No. 11). The greater part of the composition is taken up with the Fight and Victory; and the expression of violent action on the part of the combatants is wonderfully forcible. To the left Jephthah, on his charger, a crown on his head, and clothed like a Roman emperor, gives orders to his men. Near him we notice a charming group of two young men conversing, one of whom, a negro, stands out from the picture with startling vividness. (Ill. XXIII.). Above, in the background, Jephthah’s daughter is seen coming out of the city gates, with a joyous crowd of maiden companions, to greet her victorious father; while, still farther into the top left-hand corner, we may see the unhappy father, in a tiny temple, sacrificing his daughter, in fulfilment of his rash vow. Of this work we find two notices in the Archives,[111] the first, dealing with advances made on two occasions to the artist, and the other, recording payment for the complete work. The artist employed upon it was Bastiano di Francesco di Sano, of whom we have already spoken, and he appears in this case to have been both designer and executant. The work seems to have been commenced either late in 1481 or at the beginning of 1482, but not finished until the end of 1484 or early in 1485. Not that the artist was idle, for, as we have seen, he had work to do elsewhere on the Pavement in the interval, besides various sculptures commissioned by the cathedral authorities.[112] He received for it in all a sum of 2,555 lire. Its restoration in 1869–78 cost 2,664 lire 8 c. (Ill. XXIII.)