Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/348

340 towards the Piazza. Shortly afterwards, the same monks commissioned the painter Andrea di Cosimo to enrich the abovo-mentioned escutcheon with gilding, and furthermore commanded him to surround the same with decorations of grottesche, of which he was an excellent master, and with the devices of the house of Medici; there were besides to be figures on each side, that of Faith on the one hand namely, and that of Charity on the other.

But Andrea di Cosimo, perceiving well that he should not be able to execute all these things with his own hand, determined to have the figures done by some other artist, and having summoned Jacopo, who was then not more than nineteen years old, he commissioned him to paint those two figures. He had, however, no small difficulty in prevailing on Jacopo to undertake them. Conscious of his youth, the latter was unwilling to subject himself to such a trial, and to begin by a work which was to be exhibited in a place of so much importance: but taking courage at length, although not so well practised in fresco as in oil-painting, Jacopo finally accepted the charge of those figures, and withdrew to prepare the cartoons (he being still with Andrea del Sarto) at Sant’ Antonio, near the Gate of Faenza, where he had his abode.

In a short time he brought them to completion, and having done that, he one day took his master Andrea del Sarto, to see them; the master examined them, accordingly, to his great admiration, and even astonishment. He praised them also in the highest terms, but afterwards, as it is said, whether moved by envy, or from some other cause, he never again could look on Jacopo with a favourable eye, as I have before related; nay, when the youth went afterwards to his workshops, either he found them closed against him, or was so insolently jeered by Andrea’s boys, that he withdrew himself altogether, beginning to live in the most frugal manner, seeing that he was very poor, and to study with the utmost assiduity.

When Andrea di Cosimo had completed the gilding of the escutcheon and had decorated the whole arch, Jacopo set himself, without any assistance, to execute the remainder of the work, when, inspired by the wish to distinguish himself, and by his desire for occupation, being also well aided by