Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/421

Rh the love of a father, and as his acquirements in art increased with his years, he constantly treated him as such.

Piero had received from nature a mind of considerable elevation, he was of a peculiar and thoughtful character, possessing more varied powers of fancy than were exhibited by any of the students who were labouring to acquire their art in the work-rooms of Cosimo Rosselli, at the same time with himself. He was not unfrequently so profoundly absorbed in whatever might be the matter in hand, that if any conversation was going forward—as frequently happens —it was necessary to recommence the whole narration for him as soon as it was brought to an end, so completely had his attention been abstracted in another direction. He was a great lover of solitude, and knew no greater pleasure than that of getting away by himself to indulge without interruption in his own cogitations, and to build up his castles in the air. His master, Cosimo, found ample justification for the confidence which he reposed in him, and availed himself to a great extent of his aid; nay, he not unfrequently entrusted works of the utmost importance to Piero, knowing well that his disciple had a better manner as well as more judgment than himself. It was for this reason that he took Piero with him to Pome, when he was himself summoned thither by Pope Sixtus, to execute the historical paintings for the chapel, and in one of these Piero executed a very beautiful landscape, as we have related in the life of Cosimo. Piero painted exceedingly well from the life, and was for this reason employed while in Rome, to take the portraits of many distinguished persons, more particularly those of Virginio Orsino, and of Ruberto Sanseverino, which he placed in the historical paintings mentioned above. He afterwmrds took the likeness of the Duke Valentino, son of the Pope Alexander VI.; this painting, according to the best of my belief, is not now to be found, but the cartoon executed by his hand is still in existence, being in possession of the venerable and excellent Messer Cosimo Bartoli, Provost of San Giovanni. In Florence, this master executed numerous pictures for different citizens, which are dispersed among the dwellings of those persons: I have myself seen