Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/368

360 as is used by barbers. While doing this he remarked the curious effect produced by the rotundity of the glass, which causes the beams of the ceiling to look bent, while the doors and all other parts of buildings are in like fashion distorted, and recede in a very peculiar manner. All this, Francesco took it into his head to imitate for his diversion. He accordingly caused a globe or ball of wood to be made by a turner, and having divided it in half and brought it to the size of the mirror, he set himself with great art to copy all that he saw in the glass, more particularly his own likeness, which is of inestimable excellence, and so natural that one can scarcely believe it feigned. But as all the nearer objects thus depicted in the glass were increased, while those at greater distance were diminished, he painted a hand, which he represented as employed in drawing, making it look a little larger than the true size, as it does in the glass, and so beautifully done that it appears to be the living member itself.

Francesco was a singularly handsome youth, his countenance and aspect were exceedingly graceful, and such as might beseem an angel rather than a man, his portrait in that glass was therefore like something divine, nay, the whole work succeeded so admirably well that the true objects were not in any respect different to those therein depicted; the lustre of the glass, and every reflection thereon, with all the lights and shadows, were so true and real, that better could not be expected from the genius of man.

These works being completed, were considered extraordinary, not only by the old kinsmen of the artist, but by many others, well versed in art, they were held to be most astonishingly fine; they were then packed up, and Francesco, accompanied by one of his uncles, repaired to Rome. Here the paintings were seen by the Papal Datary, who perceiving them at once to be what they really were, immediately introduced the youth and his uncle to Pope Clement: the Pontiff therefore beholding these pictures, and seeing their author to be so young, remained utterly astonished, as did all the court, and no long time after, his Holiness, who had instantly conferred numerous favours on our artist, declared that he would confide to his care the paintings in the Hall of the Popes, wherein Giovanni da Udine had already prepared the