Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/362

354 subject chosen is the Reception by Joseph of his father Jacob and all his brothers, the sons of that Jacob, when Joseph himself has become a prince, and, as it were, the sovereign of the land of Egypt. The affection with which he greets them is admirably well expressed, and among the figures is one which is indeed singularly beautiful; this is the portrait of Jacopo’s disciple Bronzino, then but a boy, and whom he has represented seated on a flight of steps at the lower part of the picture; the youth holds a basket in his hand; a most animated figure it is, and beautiful to a marvel: nay, if this painting had been executed of adequate size (whereas it is but small), either on panel or on the wall, I could venture to affirm, that it could not be possible to behold one executed with more grace, or more completely excellent in all its parts, than is this work of Puntormo’s; it is therefore with perfect justice that this is esteemed among artists to be the most beautiful painting ever produced by that master. Nor is it by any means wonderful that Borgherini should prize it as he did; and we cannot be surprised to hear that he was repeatedly urged in vain by great and influential personages to dispose of the same, to the end that it might be presented to different princes and great nobles.

Now it chanced that during the siege of Florence, Pier Francesco Borgherini had retired to Lucca, when Giovan Battista Palla, who desired to get the decorations of this chamber, as well as other works, into his hands, with intention to transport them into France, where they were to be presented to the king Francis, in the name of the Signoria: Giovan Battista, I say, found means to procure so many abettors, and so contrived, both to do and to say, that the Gonfaloniere and the Signori furnished him with a commission, by virtue of which the whole were to be taken away, and the price thereof paid to the wife of Pier Francesco.

Thereupon Giovan Battista repaired with others to the