as the best of all that were to be seen there. Giorgio thereupon remarked, “The picture is a beautiful one without doubt, bat it is not by the hand of Raphael.” “How!” exclaimed Giulio, “not by his hand? do not I know the work, when I recognize the very strokes of the pencil that I did myself give to it while it was in course of execution?” “You are nevertheless in error and have forgotten them,” replied Giorgio, “for this was painted by Andrea del Sarto, and as a proof of what I say, there is a sign (and he described it to him) which was made in Florence, to the end that the one might be distinguished from the other, for when they were together it was not possible to say which was by Raphael and which by Andrea.” When Giulio heard this, he caused the picture to be turned round, and having discovered the counter-sign, he shrugged his shoulders, saying these words, “I esteem it no less than I should do if it were by the hand of Raphael, nay, rather much more, for it is a most amazing thing that one excellent master should have been capable of imitating the manner of another to such a degree, and should have found it possible to produce a work so exactly similar to the original.”[1]
But enough of this, which yet suffices to show what the art of Andrea was, even when compared with that of so great a master; and we see besides that he was thereby enabled, in concert with the prudence and judgment of Messer Ottaviano, to satisfy the duke, while Florence was yet not deprived of so admirable a work. The latter was subsequently presented by the Duke Alessandro to Messer Ottaviano, who retained it many years in his possession, and finally made a gift thereof to the Duke Cosimo, who has it in his guardaroba with many other renowned pictures.[2] A¥hile Andrea was occupied with the copy here in question, he likewise painted the bead of the Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici, who was afterwards Pope Clement, in a separate picture;
- ↑ According to a tradition which had been maintained to the time of the painter Gabbiani, by whom it was imparted to Bottari, the sign or mark made by Andrea del Sarto was his own name, written on the edge or in the thickness of the panel, and which was of course concealed by the frame.
- ↑ It is now in the Pitti Palace. The copy made by Andrea is in the Museo Borbonico in Naples, the latter must have been executed about 1525, at which period Vasari was a disciple of Andrea’s, and was living in the house of Ottaviano de’ Medici.
