Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/224

216 exceedingly beautiful picture of the Madonna with the Divine Infant at the breast; St. Joseph is also present: this work was destined for the villa which Zanobi had at Rovezzano, it is painted with infinite care, and the figures appear to be standing out from the picture, so extraordinary a degree of relief has the artist succeeded in imparting to them: it is now in the house of Messer Antonio Bracci, son of the above-named Zanobi.

About the same time, Andrea painted two additional stories in the cloister of the Barefooted Brethren, which we have before mentioned; in one of these he has represented Zacharias, who is offering sacrifice^ and is rendered dumb on the Angel appearing to him, and in the other is the Visitation of Our Lady, which is beautiful to a marvel.

Now it chanced that Federigo the 2nd, Duke of Mantua, when passing through Florence on his way to Rome, whither he was proceeding to offer his respects to Pope Clement VII., saw that portrait of Pope Leo, which represents the Pontiff between Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici and the Cardinal Rossi, and which had formerly been painted by the most excellent Raffaello da Urbino, over a door in the palace of the Medici wherefore, being infinitely pleased therewith, as a man who delighted greatly in fine paintings, he thought to make it his own, and thus when he found a good opportunity, he begged it as a gift from Pope Clement, who very courteously granted him that favour; orders were therefore sent to Florence to Ottaviano de’ Medici, under whose care and government were Ippolito and Alessandro, to the effect that it should be packed up and sent to Mantua.

But this command was exceedingly displeasing to Ottaviano, who was not willing to see Florence deprived of such a picture, and who marvelled much that the Pope should so