400 THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. Chap. XIV. lar character is marked in three fragments of a Corona tion of the Virgin at the Museum of Carlsruhe. 1 We cannot suppose that Mariotto long remained absent from his easel. For some months only did he keep a tavern at the Ponte Vecchio al Drago near the gate of S. Gallo; and congratulate himself on having entered on a trade “where he should be free from the taunts of cri ticism, and hear no more of muscles, of foreshortening, or perspective”. 2 The means which had enabled him to take this strange step were, no doubt, soon exhausted; and in March 1513 he was glad to accept a commission for a shield of arms in the Palace of the Medici on the occa sion of Leo the Tenth’s elevation to the Papacy. 3 The Annunciation at Munich, though undated, is but a continuation of the manner illustrative of this period in Albertinelli’s career, combining the elegance and pious spirit of Fra Bartolommeo with a sentiment and method of colouring like that of Andrea del Sarto. 4 It shows that Mariotto, in this instance at least, could succeed in uniting strong contrasts of light and shade to atmosphere and fusion of colour, and preserve at the same time true proportions and flexibility in nude. 5 mes of Raphael, F. Francia, and Lorenzo Costa; and arc the finest specimens - of Albertinelli when lie strove to rival Fra Bartolommeo. In the sacrifice, Abraham holds his knife to Isaac’s throat, as the angel stops him and points to the lamb in a distant bush. The angel’s wings are touched in gold. 1 Carlsruhe Museum. No. 323. A boy-angel and part of a second with flowers, with a piece of the dress of the Virgin the rest of whose form and a piece of the Redeemer is in No.324. whilst the third bit (No.325) shows an angle of Christ’s dress, and another boy-angel. These were perhaps done during the partner ship with the Frate. These numbers at Carlsruhe are under the name of Fra Bartolommeo, but the draw ing and execution are Mariotto’s, the flesh lights being red; the shadows of a greyish blue and the vehicle viscous. 2 Vas. VII. 183—4. 3 lb. ib. ib. 4 Ex. gr. in the annunciation at the Pitti No. 124. 5 Munich. Pinakothek. Saal. No. 545. At the sides of the principal group stand, a fine naked S. Se bastian with an angel consoling him by presenting the palm of mar tyrdom, and S. Ottilia with a dag ger in her throat (wood, oil, figures almost large ns life). The picture has been unevenly cleaned, the dis tance and foreground (the latter especially) being much abraded. The flesh shadows are slightly rub bed away and hence a little cool aud grey. Purchased at Florence in 1832.