Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/67

Rh nobles of Venice, with whom, as a man of ability, he ever lived in confidential intercourse. The wish to devote himself to painting having been conceived by Sebastiano while he was still young, he acquired the first principles of his art from Giovan-Bellini, then an old man; but when Giorgione da Castel Franco brought into Venice the newer manner, with its superior harmony and increased vividness of colouring, Sebastiano left Bellini to place himself with Giorgione.

With the last-named artist, Sebastiano remained so long that he acquired his manner to a considerable degree. He executed numerous portraits from the life in Venice, which were reputed to be excellent likenesses; among others, that of the Frenchman Verdelotto, an accomplished musician, who was then chapel-master (Maestro di Capella) in San Marco, and in the same picture Sebastiano painted the portrait of the singer Uberto, the associate of Verdelotto. This work was brought to Florence by Verdelotto, when the latter repaired to that city as Maestro di Capella at San Giovanni. It is now in the possession of the sculptor, Francesco Sangallo. About the same time, Sebastiano painted a picture in the Church of San Giovanni Grisostomo at Venice, with figures which have so much of the manner of Giorgione, that they have sometimes been taken by persons who have not much acquaintance with matters of art, to be by the hand of Giorgione himself. The work is a very beautiful one, and has a manner of colouring which secures great relief to the picture.

By this work the reputation of the artist was much ex tended, and Agostino Chigi, a very rich merchant of Siena, who had frequent communications with Venice, hearing him much extolled in Rome, made efforts to attract him thither, the abilities of Sebastiano in playing on the lute being equally pleasing to Agostino with his acquirements as a painter; and the latter was furthermore incited by the agreeable conversation of Sebastiano, which was also much commended. No great labour was required to lead Sebas-