Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/420

412 time to complete it, caused this work to be left unfinished; the picture nevertheless suffices to prove that Andrea was an excellent painter, and one who did not shrink from the labours required for the due exercise of his art.

While Giorgione and Correggio were gaining honour for Lombardy, to their own great praise and glory, Tuscany on her part was not wanting in men of genius. Among these, not the most unimportant was Piero, son of a certain Lorenzo, who was a goldsmith, and godson of Cosimo Rosselli, after whom he was always called Piero di Cosimo, nor was he ever known by any other name. And in truth, he to whom we are indebted for instruction, is no less entitled to our gratitude than he who has given us life, and merits indeed to be considered the true father, for the person to whom we owe the better part of our being is no less to be regarded than he from whom we simply derive existence. The father of Piero, perceiving a lively genius, and a strong inclination to the art of design in his son, entrusted him to the care of Cosimo Rosselli, who accepted the charge more than willingly, and seeing him make progress beyond most of the other disciples whom he had under his care, he bore to him