“Sarebbe riuscita insieme un’opera molto onorata’’. Per Perino del Vaga a Pisa

There are still many questions concerning Perino del Vaga’s career in the early 1530s, especially in regard of his crucial decision to leave Genoa for a new destination. Before going back to Rome and becoming the Farnese court's main painter (1537-1538), Perino evaluated the opportunity to live in Tuscany, where he also bought a house (1534). The aim of this article is to rebuild the activity of the artist in Pisa that apparently has been more intense than previously thought by studies. Perino stayed in the city at least in three different occasions, between 1531 and 1537, to participate at the new decoration of the Cathedral, that unfortunately was left incomplete and almost nothing remained nowadays. In addition to this, Vasari wrote a contradictory description of it in the Lives (1568). The article will focus on Perino’s graphic production during that period that might suggest how he was preparing his projects for the Cathedral.