Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/236

228 mately sold it to Niccolo Antinori, by whom it is prized as an admirable performance, which it certainly is.

About this time the illustrious Ottaviano de’ Medici, remarking how greatly Andrea had improved his manner, conceived a wish to possess a picture by his hand; wherefore Andrea, who was very anxious to please that noble, to w'hom he felt under great obligations, and by whom men of distinguished ability were always favoured;—Andrea, I say, moved by these incitements, painted a picture of Our Lady for the illustrious Ottaviano. Seated on the earth, the Madonna is enjoying the sports of the Infant Christ who is riding on her knees, while he turns his head back to a little San Giovanni; the latter supported by his mother, St. Elizabeth, an aged woman, painted in a manner so admirable and so natural, that she appears to be alive. Every other part of this painting is in like manner executed with a power and knowledge of art, a beauty of design, and a careful delicacy of finish, which render it a work of indescribable excellence.

When the picture was completed, Andrea took it to Messer Ottaviano, but the city of Florence being at that time besieged and surrounded on all sides by its enemies, Ottaviano, who was occupied with other matters, excused himself, and thanking the artist in the most friendly manner, told him that he might dispose of his work as he best could, seeing that he had himself affairs of so different a kind to attend to. Andrea made no other reply than these words: “The labour was undertaken for you, and to no other shall the work belong.” “Sell it,” replied Messer Ottaviano, “sell it, and use the money, for I know perfectly well what I am talking about.” But Andrea carried the picture back to his house, and notwithstanding all the applications that he received for it, which were many, would never part with the painting to any one. But when the siege was over, and the Medici had returned to Florence, he once more took the picture to Messer Ottaviano, who then received it most gladly, and, thanking Andrea very kindly, paid him double the price of his work. This is now in the apartment of his consort Madonna Francesca, the sister of the illus-