Chap. XII. father of Lorenzo di Credi ; the father of the goldsmith Andrea in whose house at Florence Lorenzo was born in 1459. 1 So long as Andrea di Credi lived, his son probably learnt the paternal business, in which he is said to have excelled, studying design at suitable hours in the workshop and in the Brancacci chapel. 2 But when the boy was left in charge of his mother Mona Lisa, he became assistant to Verrocchio. One might suppose that his occupation in the atelier of so renowned a sculptor and goldsmith would principally be the chisell ing of metal; but he is described by his mother in a tax paper of 1480—1 as “employed in painting” with a salary of twelve florins a year; 3 and this is an additional fact in support of the statement that Verrocchio indis criminately practised all the sister arts together. 4 The friendship which Verrocchio contracted for Credi was only disturbed by his death in 1488. It was testified by the appointment of Lorenzo to the duties of his executor, the legacy of all his marbles and artistic pro perties at Venice and Florence, and the recommendation of his name to the Doge for the completion of the Colleoni monument, 5 To Credi’s great honour, he never forgot this kindness and he remembered the niece of his benefactor in a clause of his will.'’ The goodness of the man was not belied in his works, which are confined to the delineation of religious subjects, or to portraits. His honesty and steadiness were reflected 1 Vasari’s account of the birth and education of Credi, previous to the entrance of the latter into Verrocchio’s service, is incorrect. See for the proof of the date of his birth the note postea. 2 Vas. III. 162; He studied later in the Medici Garden. VII. 205. 3 See the tax paper in Tavola Alfabetica (ub. sup. ad. litt.) where Credi is further stated to have been, in 1480, 21 years of age. 4 Verrocchio’s Baptism of Christ has been described in a previous volume, in which notice is also | taken of a picture which has dis- j appeared from S. Domenico of Florence. Albertini also describes | three large canvasses by Ver- | rocchio containing scenes from the | story of Hercules in the “Sala del 1 consiglio” at the Palazzo Pubblico \ of Florence (Memoriale ub. sup. p. 15). 5 Verro cchio’s will in Gaye, Car- teggio, ub. sup. I. 367. 6 Credi’s will in Gaye, Carteggio, I. 372.
