Domenico Ghirlandajo.  Granacci used to lend him drawings by Ghirlandajo, and inspired him with the resolution to become a practical artist.  Condivi says that “Francesco’s influence, combined with the continual craving of his nature, made him at last abandon literary studies.  This brought the boy into disfavour with his father and uncles, who often used to beat him severely; for, being insensible to the excellence and nobility of Art, they thought it shameful to give her shelter in their house.  Nevertheless, albeit their opposition caused him the greatest sorrow, it was not sufficient to deter him from his steady purpose.  On the contrary, growing even bolder he determined to work in colours.”  Condivi, whose narrative preserves for us Michelangelo’s own recollections of his youthful years, refers to this period the painted copy made by the young draughtsman from a copper-plate of Martin Schoengauer.  We should probably be right in supposing that the anecdote is slightly antedated.  I give it, however, as nearly as possible in the biographer’s own words.  “Granacci happened to show him a print of S. Antonio tormented by the devils.  This was the work of Martino d’Olanda, a good artist for the times in which he lived; and Michelangelo transferred the composition to a panel.  Assisted by the same friend with colours and brushes, he treated his subject in so masterly a way that it excited surprise in all who saw it, and even envy, as some say, in Domenico, the greatest painter of his age.  In order to diminish the extraordinary impression produced by this picture, Ghirlandajo went about saying that it came out of his own workshop, as though he had some part in the performance.  While engaged on this piece, which, beside the figure of the saint, contained many strange forms and diabolical monstrosities, Michelangelo coloured no particular without going first to Nature and comparing her truth with his fancies.  Thus he used to frequent the fish-market, and study the shape and hues of fishes’ fins, the colour of their eyes, and so forth in the case of every part belonging to them; all of which details he reproduced with the utmost diligence in his painting.”  Whether this transcript from Schoengauer was made as early as Condivi reports may, as I have said, be reasonably doubted.  The anecdote is interesting, however, as showing in what a naturalistic spirit Michelangelo began to work.  The unlimited mastery which he acquired over form, and which certainly seduced him at the close of his career into a stylistic mannerism, was based in the first instance upon profound and patient interrogation of reality.

IV