Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/305

Rh garden of the Medici, on the piazza of San Marco; where he pursued the labours of his vocation, and acquired the art of design, under the sculptor Bertoldo. Here he formed a strict intimacy with Michelagnolo Buonarroti, and this grew to so perfect a friendship, that Giuliano was ever after much beloved by Michelagnolo, who distinguished him, not so much because of any depth of manner which he perceived in the drawing of Giuliano, as on account of the great diligence and love with which he devoted himself to his art.

There was besides a certain natural goodness and a kind of simplicity in the manners and mode of life of Giuliano who was wholly devoid of all malice or envy, and these qualities infinitely pleased Michelagnolo; Giuliano had indeed no one remarkable defect in his character, unless we may call the love which he bore to the works of his own hands a fault. It is true that this is a point in which all men are given to err, but in Giuliano the propensity passed all bounds, either because the great pains and diligence which he bestowed in the execution of his labours caused him to set a high value on the result, or for some other reason. But however this may have been, Michelagnolo used to designate Giuliano “the blessed,” because he ever appeared to be so heartily content with what he produced, while he called himself “the unhappy,” because he could never fully satisfy himself with any of his works.

When Giuliano had studied drawing for a certain time in the above-named garden, he attached himself, still in company with Michelagnolo Buonarroti, and with Granacci also, to Domenico Ghirlandajo, under whom he worked when the latter was painting the chapel of Santa Maria Novella. Increasing in stature and having ultimately rendered himself a tolerably good artist, he settled down to work in company with Mariotto Albertinelli in the Gualfonda, where he executed a picture which is now in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore at Florence, and near the door of entrance; the subject is Sant’ Alberto, a Carmelite monk, who has the devil under his feet in the form of a woman, a work that was very highly commended.