a miracle of beauty.
Just imagine that she is a picture by my hand, and there you have
her."

CRISTOFANO GHERARDI, CALLED DOCENO

LIFE OF CRISTOFANO GHERARDI [CALLED DOCENO] OF BORGO SAN SEPOLCRO

PAINTER

While Raffaello dal Colle of Borgo San Sepolcro, who was a disciple of
Giulio Romano and helped him to paint in fresco the Hall of
Constantine in the Papal Palace at Rome, and the apartments of the Te
in Mantua, was painting, after his return to the Borgo, the
altar-piece of the Chapel of SS. Gilio e Arcanio (in which, imitating
Giulio and Raffaello da Urbino, he depicted the Resurrection of
Christ, a work that was much extolled), with another altar-piece of
the Assumption for the Frati de' Zoccoli without the Borgo, and some
other works for the Servite Friars at Citta di Castello; while, I say,
Raffaello was executing these and other works in the Borgo, his native
place, acquiring riches and fame, a young man sixteen years of age,
called Cristofano, and by way of by-name, Doceno, the son of Guido
Gherardi, a man of honourable family in that city, was attending from
a natural inclination and with much profit to painting, drawing and
colouring so well and with such grace, that it was a marvel. Wherefore
the above-named Raffaello, having seen some animals by the hand of
this Cristofano, such as dogs, wolves, hares, and various kinds of
birds and fishes, executed very well, and perceiving that he was most
agreeable in his conversation and very witty and amusing, although he
lived a life apart, almost like a philosopher, was well pleased to
form a friendship with him and to have him frequent his workshop in
order to learn.

Now, after Cristofano had spent some time drawing under the discipline
of Raffaello, there arrived in the Borgo the painter Rosso, with whom
he contracted a friendship, and received some of his drawings; and
these Doceno studied with great diligence, considering, as one who had
seen no others but those by the hand of Raffaello, that they were very
beautiful, as indeed they were. But these studies were broken off by
him, for, when Giovanni de' Turrini of the Borgo, at that time Captain
of the Florentines, went with a band of soldiers from the Borgo and
from Citta di Castello to the defence of Florence, which was besieged
by the armies of the Emperor and of Pope Clement, Cristofano went
thither among the other soldiers, having been led away by his many
friends. It is true that he did