Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/423

Rh further consideration. He would sometimes set himself to seek animals, plants, or other productions out of the common order, such as Nature will sometimes bring forth either hj chance or from caprice. In these things he took indescribable pleasure, insomuch that they transported him out of himself, and he would describe them so frequently, that even to persons who could take pleasure in such narratives, the relation at length became tedious and troublesome. He would sometimes stand beside a wall, against which various impurities were cast, and from these he would image fortli the most singular scenes, combats of horses, strangely ordered cities, and the most extraordinary landscapes that ever were seen; he did the same thing with the clouds of the sky also.

Piero devoted much attention to oil-painting, having seen certain works by Leonardo da Vinci, painted with the harmony and finished with the extraordinary care, which that master was accustomed to bestow on his paintings, when he intended to show the power of his art. Piero therefore, being much pleased with that manner, desired to imitate it, although he was very far from approaching Leonardo, and was entirely unlike him; his manner was indeed altogether different from that of most other artists, in its extravagance or peculiarities; nay, he may even be said to have changed it and adopted a new one, for every new work that he executed. Had Piero di Cosimo been less eccentric, had he imposed a more careful restraint on himself, during the course of his long life, the extent of that genius which he certainly possessed would have been made more clearly manifest, he might indeed have rendered himself truly admirable, whereas, by the absurdity and extravagance of his life he caused himself to be considered a mere fool. In the end, however, he did no harm to any one but himself, while his works have been very beneficial to the art. Yet, from his example, men of exalted genius and able artists, may nevertheless learn that life should not be passed through, without having an eye to the end.

I will not omit to mention that in his youth, Piero di