Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/242

230

At this time Michelagnolo formed a friendship with Francesco Granacci, who, although also but a boy, had placed himself with Domenico Ghirlandajo to learn the art of painting; and being fond of Michelagnolo, Granacci supplied him daily with the designs of Ghirlandajo, who was then reputed one of the best masters, not in Florence only but through all Italy. The desire of Michelagnolo for art thus increased from day to day, and Ludovico, finding it impossible to divert him from his drawings, determined to try if he could not derive benefit from this inclination, and being advised by certain friends, he decided on placing him with Domenico Ghirlandajo.

Michelagnolo was now fourteen years old. His life has been written since this book of mine was first published, by one who affirms that, for want of sufficient intercourse with him, many things have been related by me which are not true, and others omitted which should have been told, more especially respecting this point of time; Domenico Ghirlandajo, for example, being accused of base envy by the said writer, and declared to have given Michelagnolo no assistance in his studies. Bui that this is indeed false may be shown by certain entries which Lodovico the father of Michelagnolo, wrote with his ov/n hand in one of Domenico’s books, which book is now in the possession of his heirs: the words in question are these:—“1488, I acknowledge and record, this 1st day of April, that I, Lodovico di Lionardo di Buonarroti have engaged Michelagnolo my son to Domenico and David di Tommaso di Currado, for the three years next to come, under the following conditions: That the said Michelagnolo shall remain with the above-named during all the said time, to the end that they may teach him to paint and to exercise their vocation, and that the abovenamed shall have full command over him, paying him in the course of these three years twenty-four florins, as wages, in the first six namely, in the second eight, and in the third ten, being in all ninety-six lira.” Beneath this entry is the following, also written by Lodovico: “The above-named Michelagnolo has received two florins in gold this sixteenth day of April. I, his father, Lodovico di Lionardo, having received twelve lira and twelve soldi on his account.” These entries I have copied from the book itself, to show