830 
eyes of fish; and whatever in na- 
ture constituted a part of his compo- 
sition, he studiéd from its source. 
About this time he made a fac-si- 
mile of a picture, which his biogra- 
phers have recorded to shew his 
skill in imitation. A head bad been 
given him to copy, and he imitated 
it so well, that, to try his success, 
he returned his own copy instead of 
the original picture, to the person 
from whom it was borrowed, and 
the deceit was not immediately per- 
ceived, but having told one of his as. 
sociatés, who began to laugh, it was 
discovered. To. add to the decep- 
tion, he smoaked his copy, so as to 
make it appear of the same age as 
the original. 
‘¢ Whatever might be the be- 
nefit of the instruction he derived 
from others, he rapidly surpassed 
his contemporary students, and 
adopted a style of drawing and de- 
sign, more bold and daring than 
Ghirlandaio had been accustomed 
to see practised in his school ; and, 
from an anecdote Vasari tells, it 
would scem Michel Angelo soon 
felt -himself even superior to his 
master. One of the pupils copying 
a female portrait from a drawing by 
Ghirlandaio, he took a pen, and 
made a strong outline round it on 
the same paper, to shew him its de- 
fects ; and the superior style of the 
contour was ds much admired as the 
act was eonsidered confident and 
presumptuous *, [His great facility 
in copying with accuracy whatever 
objects were before him, was exem- 
plified in an instance that forced a 
compliment even from Ghirlandaio 
* This drawing Vasari had in his possession, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
His master being employed — 
in S. Maria Novella, in Florence, — 
Michel Angelo, taking advantage of — 
1806. 
himself. 
his absence, drew the scaffolding, 
the desks, the painting utensils and 
apparatus, and some of the young © 
men who were at work, with so 
much correctness and ability, says 
Vasari, that Ghirlandaio, when he 
returned, was quite astonished, and 
said it was rather the performance of 
an experienced artist than of a scho- 
lar.” 
his pupil’s talents, and when any 
work of his was praised, would insi- 
nuate that he himself had touched 
it. At this time lorenzo de Medici 
had opened a garden at Florence, 
well supplied with antique statues, 
&c. as aschool for sculpture. He de- 
sired Ghirlandaio to let avy of his 
scholars study there, who were de- 
sirous of drawing from the antique. 
Michel Angelo, and his friend. Gra- 
nacci, availed themselves of this in- 
dulgence, and the Medici Garden 
became their favourite school. Emu- 
lation induced him to begin model- 
ling in clay, and Lorenzo, who ob- 
served his progress, encouraged 
him. 
‘¢ He was, not long after, desirous 
to try his skill in marble, and being 
particularly interested with a muti- 
lated old head, or rather a mask re- 
presenting a laughing Faun, he 
chose it for his original. At that 
time there were many persons em- 
ployed in the garden, making orna- 
ments for a library which Lorenzo 
was decerating + from one of these 
workmen he bb is a piece of mar. 
ble 
and being in Rome in the year 1550, 
he shewed it to Michel Angelo, who recollected it with pleasure, and modestly 
remarked, “1 knew more of this part of my art when I was a a young man than I 
do now in my old age.’ 
Va usari vita di Michel An geloe 
~- 
Ra Iw 
1 Drews 
But Ghirlandaio was envious of | 
