a remarkable degree; and great numbers of persons were thereby induced to require works from his hands, as esteeming him one who, with time, must needs arrive at the honourable eminence promised by his extraordinary commencement.
Among other works performed by Andrea at this time, and in his first manner, may be mentioned a picture which is now in the possession of Filippo Spini, by whom it is held in high veneration, in memory of so excellent an artist.[1] Nor did any long time elapse after the completion of the above-mentioned works, before our artist received a comrnission from those Monks of the Order of Sant’ Agostino, who call themselves the Eremitani Osservanti, to paint a picture for one of the chapels in their church, which is situate beyond the gate of San Gallo; the subject being the Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene, in the form of the gardener. The colouring of this work is so good, there is so much softness, harmony, and delicacy, throughout the whole, that it caused Andrea to receive a commission for the execution of two others in the same church, as will be related hereafter; this picture of Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene is now in the chapel of San Jacopo-tra-fossi,[2] near the Alberti, as are the two mentioned immediately after it.[3]
After having completed these labours, Andrea and Franciabigio left the Piazza del Grano, and took new rooms in the Sapienza, near the convent of the Nunziata, from which circumstance it happened, that Andrea formed a friendship with Jacopo Sansovino, who was then a youth, and was studying sculpture in that place under Andrea Contucci, his master[4] § nay, so close an intimacy and so great an affection was subsequently contracted by Jacopo and Andrea, for each other, that they were never separate night or day. The conversations of these young artists were, for the most part, respecting the difficulties of their art; wherefore, we have no reason to be surprised that both of them should ultimately attain to great excellence, as we are now to show that Andrea did, and as will be related in due time of Jacopo Sansovino, also.
