one that is altogether beautiful, of the scene that he painted at
Poggio, showing the tribute of all the animals from the East being
presented to Caesar. This drawing, which is executed in chiaroscuro, is a
rare thing, and the most finished that Andrea ever made; for when he
drew natural objects for reproduction in his works, he made mere
sketches dashed off on the spot, contenting himself with marking the
character of the reality; and afterwards, when reproducing them in his
works, he brought them to perfection. His drawings, therefore, served
him rather as memoranda of what he had seen than as models from which to
make exact copies in his pictures.

The disciples of Andrea were innumerable, but they did not all pursue
the same course of study under his discipline, for some stayed with him
a long time, and some but little; which was the fault, not of Andrea,
but of his wife, who, tyrannizing arrogantly over them all, and showing
no respect to a single one of them, made all their lives a burden. Among
his disciples, then, were Jacopo da Pontormo; Andrea Sguazzella, who
adhered to the manner of Andrea and decorated a palace, a work which is
much extolled, without the city of Paris in France; Solosmeo; Pier
Francesco di Jacopo di Sandro, who has painted three panels that are in
S. Spirito; Francesco Salviati; Giorgio Vasari of Arezzo, who was the
companion of the aforesaid Salviati, although he did not stay long with
Andrea; Jacopo del Conte of Florence; and Nannoccio, who is now in
France with Cardinal de Tournon, in the highest credit. In like manner,
Jacopo, called Jacone, was a disciple of Andrea and much his friend, and
an imitator of his manner. This Jacone, while Andrea was alive, received
no little help from him, as is evident in all his works, and
particularly in the facade executed for the Chevalier Buondelmonti on
the Piazza di S. Trinita.

The heir to Andrea's drawings and other art-possessions, after his
death, was Domenico Conti, who made little proficience in painting; but
one night he was robbed--by some men of the same profession, so it is
thought--of all the drawings, cartoons, and other things that he had
from Andrea, nor was it ever discovered who these men were. Now
Domenico, as one not ungrateful for the benefits received from his
master, and desiring to render to him after his death the honours that
he deserved, prevailed upon Raffaello da Montelupo to make for him out
of courtesy a very handsome