356 ARIADNE FLORENTINA. 



" While still a youth he painted the figure of Fortitude, 

 among those pictures of the Virtues which Antonio and Pietro 

 Pollaiuolo were executing in the Mercatanzia, or Tribunal of 

 Commerce, in Florence. In Santo Spirito, a church of the 

 same city, he painted a picture for the chapel of the Bardi 

 family : this work he executed with great diligence, and 

 finished it very successfully, depicting certain olive and palm 

 trees therein with extraordinary care/' 



It is by a beautiful chance that the first work of his, speci- 

 fied by his Italian biographer, should be the Fortitude.* 

 Note also what is said of his tree drawing. 



"Having, in consequence of this work, obtained much 

 credit and reputation, Sandro was appointed by the Guild of 

 Porta Santa Maria to paint a picture in San Marco, the sub- 

 ject of which is the Coronation of Our Lady, who is surround- 

 ed by a choir of angels the whole extremely well designed, 

 and finished by the artist with infinite care. He executed 

 various works in the Medici Palace for the elder Lorenzo, 

 more particularly a figure of Pallas on a shield wreathed with 

 vine branches, whence flames are proceeding : this he painted 

 of the size of life. A San Sebastiano was also among the 

 most remarkable of the works executed for Lorenzo. In the 

 church of Santa Maria Maggiore, in Florence, is a Pieta, with 

 small figures, by this master : this is a very beautiful work. 

 For different houses in various parts of the city Sandro paint- 

 ed many pictures of a round form, with numerous figures of 

 women un draped. Of these there are still two examples at 

 Castello, a villa of the Duke Cosimo, one representing the 

 birth of Venus, who is borne to earth by the Loves and 

 Zephyrs ; the second also presenting the figure of Venus 

 crowned with flowers by the Graces : she is here intended to 

 denote the Spring, and the allegory is expressed by the painter 

 with extraordinary grace." 



Our young Reformer enters, it seems, on a very miscellane- 

 ous course of study ; the Coronation of Our Lady ; St. Sebas- 

 tian ; Pallas in vine-leaves ; and Venus, without fig-leaves. 



* Some notice of tliis picture is given at the beginning of my third 

 Morning in Florence, ' Before the Soldau. ' 



