of the artist Ghirlandajo. Michael Angelo's father and his uncles
were firmly opposed to his being an artist; they wished him to follow
the traditions of his family, and carry on the silk and woollen trade.
But the boy was firm in his determination, and after many trials was at
length, in 1488, apprenticed to the Ghirlandaji for three years.

Domenico Ghirlandajo was at this time engaged in the restoration of the
Church of Santa Maria Novella, and Michael Angelo came into the midst of
great artistic works. One day at the dinner hour he drew a picture of
the scaffolding and all its belongings, with the men at work on it; it
was a remarkable drawing for a boy, and when the master saw it he
exclaimed, "He understands more than I do myself!" The master really
became jealous of his pupil, more especially when Michael Angelo
corrected the drawings which Ghirlandajo gave his scholars for models.

About this time Michael Angelo was brought to the notice of Lorenzo de'
Medici, who was at that time at the head of the government of Florence,
and from him the boy-artist obtained admission for himself and Granacci
to study in the gardens of San Marco. The art treasures of the Medici
were placed in these gardens; works of sculpture were there, and
cartoons and pictures were hung in buildings erected for the purpose,
and art-students were admitted to study there and proper instructors
provided for them.

The master in sculpture was old Bertoldo, and Michael Angelo, forsaking
painting, obtained some instruments and a piece of marble, and copied a
mask of a faun. He changed his own work somewhat from the model, and
opened the mouth so that the teeth could be seen. When Lorenzo saw this
he praised the work, but said, "You have made your faun old, and yet you
have left all his teeth; you should have known that at such an age there
are generally some teeth wanting." When he came again he saw that a gap
had been made in the teeth, and so well done that he was delighted. This
work is now in the Uffizi Gallery.

Very soon Lorenzo sent for Michael Angelo's father, who had been sad
enough at the thought that his son might be a painter, and was now in
despair when he found that he inclined also to be a stone-mason. At
first he refused to see the duke, but Granacci persuaded him to go. He
went with a firm determination to yield to nothing, but once in presence
of Lorenzo he yielded everything, and returned home declaring that not
only Michael