orks of the Palace, with much satisfaction to myself and everyone
besides. But that which pleases me most in him, in addition to his
being a truly honest, orderly, and God-fearing man, is that he has
always in his workshop a good number of young men, whom he teaches with
incredible lovingness.

A disciple of Ridolfo, also, was Carlo Portelli of Loro in the Valdarno
di Sopra, by whose hand are some altar-pieces and innumerable pictures
in Florence; as in S. Maria Maggiore, in S. Felicita, in the Nunnery of
Monticelli, and, at Cestello, the altar-piece of the Chapel of the
Baldesi on the right hand of the entrance into the church, wherein is
the Martyrdom of S. Romolo, Bishop of Fiesole.

[Illustration: THE MADONNA GIVING THE GIRDLE TO S. THOMAS

(_After the painting by =Ridolfo Ghirlandajo=. Prato: Duomo_)

_Brogi_]

GIOVANNI DA UDINE

LIFE OF GIOVANNI DA UDINE

PAINTER

In Udine, a city of Friuli, lived a citizen called Giovanni, of the
family of the Nanni, who was the first of that family to give attention
to the practice of embroidery, in which his descendants afterwards
followed him with such excellence, that their house was called no longer
De' Nanni but De' Ricamatori.[7] Among them, then, one Francesco, who
lived always like an honourable citizen, devoted to the chase and to
other suchlike exercises, had in the year 1494 a son, to whom he gave
the name Giovanni; and this son, while still a child, showed such
inclination to design that it was a thing to marvel at, for, following
behind his father in his hunting and fowling, whenever he had time he
was for ever drawing dogs, hares, bucks, and, in short, all the kinds of
birds and beasts that came into his hands; which he did in such a
fashion that everyone was astonished. Perceiving this inclination, his
father Francesco took him to Venice, and placed him to learn the art of
design with Giorgione da Castelfranco; but, while working under him, the
boy heard the works of Michelagnolo and Raffaello so extolled, that he
resolved at all costs to go to Rome. And so, having obtained from
Domenico Grimani, who was much his father's friend, letters of
introduction to Baldassarre Castiglioni, the Secretary of the Duke of
Mantua and a close friend of Raffaello da Urbino, he went off to that
city. There, having been placed by that Castiglioni in the school of the
young men of Raffaello, he learned excellently well the principles of
art, a thing which is