Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/156

148 began, would certainly have rendered himself most excellent, and of this we have proof in certain drawings done with red chalk, which we have in our book. But the pleasures of the world, as we so frequently see, are too often the enemy of Art, as regards young people, by causing their minds to be turned from the pursuit thereof. He, therefore, who would effectually devote himself to the study of any art, science, or vocation whatsoever, must have no other companions than such as are of his own profession, while they should also be upright and well-conducted men. Now Giovan-Antonio, to the end that he might be under some guidance, had gone to live in the house of a certain Ser Raffaello, the son of the lame Sandro, and who was chaplain of San Lorenzo; to this person he paid a stipulated sum per annum, but the attention of Lappoli was in a great measure diverted from his studies in painting by that arrangement, for the priest, being of exceedingly social habits, and delighting much in pictures, music, and other diversions, many persons of distinction for ability were accustomed to resort to the apartments which he had at San Lorenzo; among others the musician, Messer Antonio da Lucca, an admirable performer on the lute, who was then but a youth, and from whom Giovan-Antonio acquired the art of playing on that instrument. It is true that the painter Rosso was likewise among the visitors of Ser Raffaello, as were others of the same vocation, but Lappoli did not associate with the men of that profession so much as with others, although he would have learned many valuable lessons from those of his own Art, while he might have amused himself at the same time.

In this state of things therefore, and by these impediments, the love of painting which had been manifested by Giovan-Antonio, became in a measure cooled; nevertheless, being a friend of Pier Francesco, the son of Jacopo di Sandro, who was a disciple of Andrea del Sarto, he would sometimes go to draw with him in the Scalzo, occasionally copying the paintings, but also drawing from the nude form. After a time too he began to give his attention to colouring, and worked on some of the pictures of Jacopo, proceeding afterwards to execute certain figures of the Virgin and other subjects for himself. He likewise painted various portraits from the life as for example those of the above-named