Chap. XIV. MARIOTTO ALBERTINELLI. 485 What became of the earlier pictures which fell into the hands of Cesar Borgia at Rome, or the likeness of Alfonsina de’ Medici, has not been discovered; 1 but there is a small “Christ appearing to the Magdalen in the Louvre, in which reminiscences of Cosimo. Rosselli's atelier are discovered. 2 It was to be expected that Alber- tinelli should become acquainted with the mode of draw ing in which Fra Bartolommeo’s familiarity with the works of Leonardo was betrayed; that he should have the same types and lively action; the same thin shapes and elegant proportion; and that his landscape should be touched with the Frate’s careful tenderness. His system of painting necessarily had the same fresh sharpness and minuteness of handling. So natural indeed is this that the presence of all these features in one panel leaves no doubt as to its authorship. And if in that of the Louvre we discover an art less perfect than that of Fra Bar tolommeo, it is only because Mariotto had not all the gifts of his associate. Both men had the same education, both were alike in their veneration of the maxims which were known in the shops of Rosselli and Verrocchio as alone true and unassailable. There was a time when Mariotto might almost have hoped to ascend to the highest honours at Florence, the time when della Porta having apparently renounced his profession, varied his leisure perhaps by encouraging and advising his friend. To this favorable moment' we owe the Salutation, engraved in these pages, and ordered of Mariotto in 1503 for the Congregation of S. Martino at Florence. The scene is laid in a highly decorated portico, look ing out upon a fair sky and pleasant country. The Virgin has stopped and bends slightly but courteously forward as Elizabeth steps up and takes her hand, a free ex pression of joy in her aged face contrasting with the more staid and noble attention in that of the Madonna. 1 Vas. VII. 181. I 2 Louvre. No. 25. for a long time | assigned to Perugino.