a very
different kind of welcome, with no regard whatever for his abilities.
And thus Andrea, remaining in Florence, and sinking from the highest
rung of the ladder to the very lowest, lived and passed the time as best
he could.

After Andrea's departure to France, the men of the Scalzo, thinking that
he would never return, had entrusted all the rest of the work in their
cloister to Franciabigio, who had already executed two scenes there,
when, seeing Andrea back in Florence, they persuaded him to set his hand
to the work once more; and he, continuing it, painted four scenes, one
beside another. In the first is S. John taken before Herod. In the
second are the Feast and the Dance of Herodias, with figures very well
grouped and appropriate. In the third is the Beheading of S. John,
wherein the minister of justice, a half-nude figure, is beautifully
drawn, as are all the others. In the fourth Herodias is presenting the
head; and here there are figures expressing their astonishment, which
are wrought with most beautiful thought and care. These scenes have been
for some time the study and school of many young men who are now
excellent in our arts.

In a shrine without the Porta a Pinti, at a corner where the road turns
towards the Ingesuati, he painted in fresco a Madonna seated with a
Child in her arms, and a little S. John who is smiling, a figure wrought
with extraordinary art and with such perfect execution, that it is much
extolled for its beauty and vivacity; and the head of the Madonna is a
portrait of his wife from nature. This shrine, on account of the
incredible beauty of the painting, which is truly marvellous, was left
standing in 1530, when, because of the siege of Florence, the aforesaid
Convent of the Ingesuati was pulled down, together with many other very
beautiful buildings.

About the same time the elder Bartolommeo Panciatichi, who was carrying
on a great mercantile business in France, desiring to leave a memorial
of himself in Lyons, ordered Baccio d' Agnolo to have a panel painted
for him by Andrea, and to send it to him there; saying that he wanted
the subject to be the Assumption of Our Lady, with the Apostles about
the tomb. This work, then, Andrea carried almost to completion; but
since the wood of the panel split apart several times, he would
sometimes work at it, and sometimes leave it alone, so that at his death
it remained not quite finished. Afterwards it was placed by the younger
Bartolom