omising.
Ghirlandajo accordingly drafted off Francesco Granacci and
Michelangelo Buonarroti. Since Michelangelo had been formally articled
by his father to Ghirlandajo in 1488, he can hardly have left that
master in 1489 as unceremoniously as Condivi asserts. Therefore we
may, I think, assume that Vasari upon this point has preserved the
genuine tradition.

Having first studied the art of design and learned to work in colours
under the supervision of Ghirlandajo, Michelangelo now had his native
genius directed to sculpture. He began with the rudiments of
stone-hewing, blocking out marbles designed for the Library of San
Lorenzo, and acquiring that practical skill in the manipulation of the
chisel which he exercised all through his life. Condivi and Vasari
agree in relating that a copy he made for his own amusement from an
antique Faun first brought him into favourable notice with Lorenzo.
The boy had begged a piece of refuse marble, and carved a grinning
mask, which he was polishing when the Medici passed by. The great man
stopped to examine the work, and recognised its merit. At the same
time he observed with characteristic geniality: "Oh, you have made
this Faun quite old, and yet have left him all his teeth! Do you not
know that men of that great age are always wanting in one or two?"
Michelangelo took the hint, and knocked a tooth out from the upper
jaw. When Lorenzo saw how cleverly he had performed the task, he
resolved to provide for the boy's future and to take him into his own
household. So, having heard whose son he was, "Go," he said, "and tell
your father that I wish to speak with him."

A mask of a grinning Faun may still be seen in the sculpture-gallery
of the Bargello at Florence, and the marble is traditionally assigned
to Michelangelo. It does not exactly correspond to the account given
by Condivi and Vasari; for the mouth shows only two large tusk-like
teeth, with the tip of the tongue protruding between them. Still,
there is no reason to feel certain that we may not have here
Michelangelo's first extant work in marble.

"Michelangelo accordingly went home, and delivered the message of the
Magnificent. His father, guessing probably what he was wanted for,
could only be persuaded by the urgent prayers of Granacci and other
friends to obey the summons. Indeed, he complained loudly that Lorenzo
wanted to lead his son astray, abiding firmly by the principle that he
would never permit a son of his to be