g black locks and thick lips is Bastiano da San Gimignano, his
disciple and brother-in-law; and the last, who has his back turned, with
a little cap on his head, is the painter David Ghirlandajo, his brother.
All these are said, by those who knew them, to be truly vivid and
lifelike portraits. In the second scene is the Nativity of Our Lady,
executed with great diligence, and, among other notable things that he
painted therein, there is in the building (drawn in perspective) a
window that gives light to the room, which deceives all who see it.
Besides this, while S. Anna is in bed, and certain ladies are visiting
her, he painted some women washing the Madonna with great care--one is
getting ready the water, another is preparing the swaddling-clothes, a
third is busy with some service, a fourth with another, and, while each
is attending to her own duty, another woman is holding the little child
in her arms and making her laugh by smiling at her, with a womanly grace
truly worthy of such a work; besides many other expressions that are in
each figure. In the third, which is above the first, is the Madonna
ascending the steps of the Temple, with a building which recedes from
the eye correctly enough, in addition to a nude figure that brought him
praise at that time, when few were to be seen, although it had not that
complete perfection which is shown by those painted in our own day, for
those masters were not as excellent as ours. Next to this is the
Marriage of Our Lady, wherein he represented the unbridled rage of those
who are breaking their rods because they do not blossom like that of
Joseph; and this scene has an abundance of figures in an appropriate
building. In the fifth are seen the Magi arriving in Bethlehem with a
great number of men, horses, and dromedaries, and a variety of other
things--a scene truly well composed. Next to this is the sixth, showing
the impious cruelty practised by Herod against the Innocents, wherein
there is seen a most beautiful combat between women and soldiers, with
horses that are striking and driving them about; and in truth this is
the best of all the stories that are to be seen by his hand, for it is
executed with judgment, intelligence, and great art. There may be seen
therein the impious resolution of those who, at the command of Herod,
without regard for the mothers, are slaying those poor infants, among
which is one, still clinging to the breast, that is dying from wounds
received