hat he was
destined to produce afterwards those beautiful works which he actually
did execute in Florence with his own hand, although in the end he became
one might say another painter, as will be related in his Life.

Andrea then painted for Zanobi Girolami a picture with figures of no
great size, wherein was a story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, which was
finished by him with unremitting diligence, and therefore held to be a
very beautiful painting. Not long after this, he undertook to execute
for the men of the Company of S. Maria della Neve, situated behind the
Nunnery of S. Ambrogio, a little panel with three figures--Our Lady, S.
John the Baptist, and S. Ambrogio; which work, when finished, was placed
in due time on the altar of that Company.

Meanwhile, thanks to his talent, Andrea had become intimate with
Giovanni Gaddi, afterwards appointed Clerk of the Chamber, who, always
delighting in the arts of design, was then keeping Jacopo Sansovino
continually at work. Being pleased, therefore, with the manner of
Andrea, he caused him to paint a picture of Our Lady for himself, which
was very beautiful, for Andrea painted various patterns and other
ingenious devices round it, so that it was considered to be the most
beautiful work that he had executed up to that time. After this he made
for Giovanni di Paolo, the mercer, another picture of Our Lady, which,
being truly lovely, gave infinite pleasure to all who saw it. And for
Andrea Santini he executed another, containing Our Lady, Christ, S.
John, and S. Joseph, all wrought with such diligence that the painting
has always been esteemed in Florence as worthy of great praise.

All these works acquired such a name for Andrea in his city, that among
the many, both young and old, who were painting at that time, he was
considered one of the most excellent who were handling brushes and
colours. Wherefore he found himself not only honoured, but even,
although he exacted the most paltry prices for his labours, in a
condition to do something to help and support his family, and also to
shelter himself from the annoyances and anxieties which afflict those of
us who live in poverty. But he became enamoured of a young woman, and a
little time afterwards, when she had been left a widow, he took her for
his wife; and then he had more than enough to do for the rest of his
life, and much more trouble than he had suffered in the past, for the
reason that, in addition to the labours and