the concatenation of the bones, nerves, and
veins, he became excellent in all the points that are looked for in a
painter of eminence. Knowing, however, that in this respect he could
never attain to the perfection of Michelagnolo, he reflected, like a
man of supreme judgment, that painting does not consist only in
representing the nude human form, but has a wider field; that one can
enumerate among the perfect painters those who express historical
inventions well and with facility, and who show fine judgment in their
fancies; and that he who, in the composition of scenes, can make them
neither confused with too much detail nor poor with too little, but
distributed with beautiful invention and order, may also be called an
able and judicious craftsman. To this, as Raffaello was well aware,
may be added the enriching those scenes with a bizarre variety of
perspectives, buildings, and landscapes, the method of clothing
figures gracefully, the making them fade away sometimes in the
shadows, and sometimes come forward into the light, the imparting of
life and beauty to the heads of women, children, young men and old,
and the giving them movement and boldness, according to necessity. He
considered, also, how important is the furious flight of horses in
battles, fierceness in soldiers, the knowledge how to depict all the
sorts of animals, and above all the power to give such resemblance to
portraits that they seem to be alive, and that it is known whom they
represent; with an endless number of other things, such as the
adornment of draperies, foot-wear, helmets, armour, women's
head-dresses, hair, beards, vases, trees, grottoes, rocks, fires,
skies turbid or serene, clouds, rain, lightning, clear weather, night,
the light of the moon, the splendour of the sun, and innumerable other
things, which are called for every moment by the requirements of the
art of painting. Pondering over these things, I say, Raffaello
resolved, since he could not approach Michelagnolo in that branch of
art to which he had set his hand, to seek to equal, and perchance to
surpass him, in these others; and he devoted himself, therefore, not
to imitating the manner of that master, but to the attainment of a
catholic excellence in the other fields of art that have been
described. And if the same had been done by many craftsmen of our own
age, who, having determined to pursue the study of Michelagnolo's
works alone, have failed to imitate him and have not be