Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/125

Rh labourer of the earth, and was himself brought up to guard the flocks, he was nevertheless of so exalted a mind, of intelligence so remarkable, and of so bold a spirit, that, whether in works or discourses relating to the difficulties of architecture and perspective, the period at which he lived could show no genius more truly elevated, no mind more subtle than his own. Neither was there any master by whom the doubtful points of these matters were more effectually explained and rendered more lucidly clear than by himself; wherefore this artist well deserved to be enumerated, as he was by all who understood the subject at that period, among the most extraordinary men of those professions.

Andrea was born, as we find it related, in the year 1460, and being employed in his childhood to herd the cattle, as is recorded of Giotto, he employed himself all day with drawing in the sand, or formed figures in clay, which he copied from some one or other of the animals he was guarding. It thus happened, that one day while the boy was in this manner employed in keeping his cattle, there passed by a certain Florentine citizen, said by common report to have been Simone Vespucci, who was then Podesta or majmr of the Monte, and who, seeing this child intent on his occupation of drawing or modelling in clay, called him to come and speak with him, when, finding the strong bent of his inclination, and hearing whose son he was, he demanded the boy of his father. This request was readily granted by Domenico, Simone promising to place the child where he might attend to the study of design, that all might see to what the natural inclination of which he gave proof could attain, when aided by instruction and by continual application.

Having returned to Florence, Simone placed the boy with Antonio del Pollaiuolo, with whom Andrea learned so much and so rapidly, that in a few years he became an excellent master. In the house of this same Simone, which is situate at the Ponte Vecchio, may still be seen a Cartoon executed at this time by his hand, and wherein he has delineated Christ Scourged at the Column, a work performed with the greatest care. There are besides, two wonderfully beautiful heads in terra-cotta by Andrea Sansovino, in the same place; these are copies from ancient medals, they represent, the one the head of Nero, the other that of Galba; and