Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/403

Rh This was Giorgio, born in the year 1478, at Castelfranco, in the territory of Treviso, and at the time when Giovanni Mozzenigo, brother to the Doge Piero Mozzenigo, had himself been elected Doge; Giorgio was, at a later period, called Giorgione, as well from the character of his person as for the exaltation of his mind: he was of extremely humble origin, but was nevertheless very pleasing in manner, and most estimable in character through the whole course of his life. Brought up in Venice, he took no small delight in lovepassages, and in the sound of the lute, to which he was so cordially devoted, and which he practised so constantly, that he played and sang with the most exquisite perfection, insomuch that he was, for this cause, frequently invited to musical assemblies and festivals by the most distinguished personages. Giorgione selected the art of design, which he greatly loved, as his profession, and was therein so highly favoured by nature, that he gave his whole heart to her beauties; nor would he ever represent any object in his works which he had not copied from the life; so entirely was he subjugated by her charms, and with such fervour did he imitate them, that he not only acquired the reputation of having excelled Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, but of being able to compete with those who were then working in Tuscany, and who were the authors of the modern manner.

Giorgione had seen certain works from the hand of Leonardo, which were painted with extraordinary softness, and thrown into powerful relief, as is said, by extreme darkness of the shadows, a manner which pleased him so much, that he ever after continued to imitate it, and in oil painting approached very closely to the excellence of his model. A   -