. Leonardo da Vinci, artist, thinker and man of science. til Thomasof Florence, nicknamed Masaccio, showed by his perfect works, thatthose who take for their standard any one but Nature—the mistressof all masters — wearythemselves in vain.^ According to a storywhich has all the appear-ance of truth, Ser Pieroda Vinci, struck by themarked aptitude of hisson, took some of hissketches to his friendVerrocchio and beggedhim to give his opinionon them. The impressionmade, we are told, wasexcellent, and Verrocchiodid not hesitate to acceptthe youth as his pupil. If we assume that Leonardo was then ab
. Leonardo da Vinci, artist, thinker and man of science. til Thomasof Florence, nicknamed Masaccio, showed by his perfect works, thatthose who take for their standard any one but Nature—the mistressof all masters — wearythemselves in vain.^ According to a storywhich has all the appear-ance of truth, Ser Pieroda Vinci, struck by themarked aptitude of hisson, took some of hissketches to his friendVerrocchio and beggedhim to give his opinionon them. The impressionmade, we are told, wasexcellent, and Verrocchiodid not hesitate to acceptthe youth as his pupil. If we assume that Leonardo was then about fifteen, we shall be within range of probability in default of any certain statement on the subject. As I have shown elsewhere,-^ the majority of the artists of the Renaissance were distinguished for their precocity. Andrea del Sarto began his apprenticeship at seven years of age ; Perugino at nine ; Fra Bartolommeo at ten ; at fifteen ^ Richter. The Literary Works of Leonardo da Vinci, vol. i. p. 332.^ See my Raphael^ 2nd ed., pp. 19, 39— ?HE CHILD Wn (Pala A DOLPHIN, BY VERROCCHIO. Vecchio, Florence.) 22 LEONARDO DA VINCI Michelangelo executed the mask of a satxr which attracted thenotice of Lorenzo the Magnificent ; finally, Mantegna painted hisfirst masterpiece—the Madonna of the church of S. Sophia at Padua—when he war, seventeen. Autres temps, autres moeurs! Nowadays, at thirty, an artist isconsidered young and brilliant, with all his future before him. Fourhundred years ago many a great artist had said his last word at thatage. Apprenticeship properly so-called—by which the pupil enteredthe family of the master—was for two, four, or six years according tothe age of the apprentice ; this was succeeded by associateship, theduration of which also varied according to age, and during which themaster gave remuneration to a greater or less amount (Lorenzo diCredi, Leonardos fellow-student, received twelve florins, about£2\ a year). Mastership was the fina
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