annoyances that such
entanglements generally involve, he undertook others into the bargain,
such as that of letting himself be harassed now by jealousy, now by one
thing, and now by another.

[Illustration: ANDREA DEL SARTO: MADONNA DELL' ARPIE

(_Florence: Uffizi, 1112. Panel_)]

But to return to the works of his hand, which were as rare as they were
numerous: after those of which mention has been made above, he painted
for a friar of S. Croce, of the Order of Minorites, who was then
Governor of the Nunnery of S. Francesco in Via Pentolini, and delighted
much in paintings, a panel-picture destined for the Church of those
Nuns, of Our Lady standing on high upon an octagonal pedestal, at the
corners of which are seated some Harpies, as it were in adoration of the
Virgin; and she, using one hand to uphold her Son, who is clasping her
most tenderly round the neck with His arms, in a very beautiful
attitude, is holding a closed book in the other hand and gazing on two
little naked boys, who, while helping her to stand upright, serve as
ornaments about her person. This Madonna has on her right a beautifully
painted S. Francis, in whose face may be seen the goodness and
simplicity that truly belonged to that saintly man; besides which, the
feet are marvellous, and so are the draperies, because Andrea always
rounded off his figures with a very rich flow of folds and with certain
most delicate curves, in such a way as to reveal the nude below. On her
left hand she has a S. John the Evangelist, represented as a young
man and in the act of writing his Gospel, in a very beautiful manner. In
this work, moreover, over the building and the figures, is a film of
transparent clouds, which appear to be really moving. This picture,
among all Andrea's works, is held at the present day to be one of
singular and truly rare beauty. For the joiner Nizza, also, he made a
picture of Our Lady, which was considered to be no less beautiful than
any of his other works.

After this, the Guild of Merchants determined to have some triumphal
chariots made of wood after the manner of those of the ancient Romans,
to the end that these might be drawn in procession on the morning of S.
John's day, in place of certain altar-cloths and wax tapers which the
cities and townships carry in token of tribute, passing before the Duke
and the chief magistrates; and out of ten that were made at that time,
Andrea painted some with scenes in oils and in chiaroscuro