Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/482

474 ordained the fate which finally befell Raffaellino, seeing that from an excellent commencement and almost certain hopes, he arrived at a most insignificant conclusion. We may indeed remark for the most part, that it is in the productions of nature as in those of art, the best arise from small beginnings, increasing little and little by slow degrees, until they attain to their highest perfection.

But the causes of many an appearance as well in art as in nature are totally unknown to us, nor can the same rule be always successfully applied to what may appear to be similar cases; a state of things by which the human judgment is often rendered uncertain in its decisions: nay, men are not unfrequently compelled to admit themselves wholly at fault, as was manifest in the instance of Raffaellino del Garbo. In him art and nature appeared to have united their efforts for the production of an extraordinary commencement, the results of which were nevertheless beneath mediocrity in the middle of his career and absolutely nothing at its close.

In his youth, Raffaellino studied drawing as industriously as any of the painters, who have laboured by long practice to attain perfection in their art, and there still remains a vast number of drawings by his hand, which one of his sons is always ready to sell for the meanest price to any purchaser, they may therefore be found wherever there is a lover of art. These designs are partly in chalk, partly done with the pen; some are in water-colours, but all are on tinted paper, the lights being added in white lead, they are executed with extraordinary boldness and admirable facility: many beautiful examples of them, in a very fine manner, are to be found in our own book of drawings. He also acquired the power of painting in tempera and fresco, which he did so well that his first works gave proof of an almost inconceivable care and patience, as I have already remarked.

Among other works performed by Raffaellino del Garbo, at this early period of his life, is the ceiling of the vaulted recess in the Church of the Minerva, within which is the tomb of Cardinal Caraffa, and which he decorated with such delicacy of manner that it might be taken for the work of a miniaturist; for this cause he was at that time held in the