Buffalmacco painted a fresco at Calcinaia, representing the Virgin with
the Child in her arms. But the man for whom it was executed, only made
fair promises in place of payment. Buonamico was not a man to be trifled
with or made a tool of; therefore, he repaired early one morning to
Calcinaia, and turned the child in the arms of the Holy Virgin into a
young bear. The change being soon discovered, caused the greatest
scandal, and the poor countryman for whom it was painted, hastened to
the painter, and implored him to remove the cub and replace the child as
before, declaring himself ready to pay all demands. This Buonamico
agreed to do on being paid for the first and second painting, which last
was only in water colors, when with a wet sponge, he immediately
restored the picture to its peristine beauty. The Editors of the
Florentine edition of Vasari, (1846) say that "in a room of the priory
of Calcinaia, are still to be seen the remains of a picture on the
walls, representing the Madonna with the Child in her arms, and other
saints, evidently a work of the 14th century; and a tradition preserved
to this day, declares that painting to be the one alluded to by our
author."