Giorgio Vasari

“ The second of the two disciples above alluded to, was Domenico Puligo, who of all we have mentioned above, was most excellent in design and most graceful in colouring. This artist early perceived that his works exhibited a higher degree of relief and increased beauty from the avoidance of all crudity, wherefore, painting with softness, and eschewing all harsh or over-bright colours, he caused his distances to recede by very gentle degrees, and imparted to them the appearance of being half veiled by a sort of mistiness, giving much grace to his pictures ”

“ Now it is a truth, that he who takes portraits, should labour, not so much with reference to what is demanded by a perfect figure, as with the determination to make his works resemble those for whom they are intended; but when the portrait, in addition to being a faithful resemblance, is beautiful also, then such works deserve to be called extraordinary, and.the masters who execute them merit the reputation of excellence. But beside these portraits, Antonio painted many other pictures in Florence, whereof, for the sake of brevity, I will not mention more than two. ”

“ I have seen heads from the life by his hand, for example, which though they had the nose awry, with one lip large and the other small, or other defects of a similar kind, have nevertheless a very faithful resemblance to the original, because he had the faculty of catching the exact expression and air of him whom he portrayed; while on the other hand, many excellent masters have executed pictures and portraits of the highest perfection as regarded art, but which yet have but little resemblance, or perhaps none at all, to the person for wdiom they are designed. ”

“ At the time when Ridolfo Ghirlandajo was occupied with the many works which he executed in Florence, as will be related hereafter, he constantly, continuing the habit of his father, kept a number of young men painting in his bottega, the result of which was, that labouring thus in emulation of each other, not a few of them became very excellent masters, some distinguishing themselves in taking portraits from the life, some in fresco painting, some in tempera, and others in rapidly painting pictures on canvas. ”

“ Then Domenico would show to Andrea the attempts he was making, and would take his opinion, the Detter to avoid such defects as those artists frequently fall into who never show any of their performances to the masters exercising the same art with themselves, and who, confiding too implicitly in their own judgment, would rather incur the censure of all men for the completed work, than improve it in its progress by aid of the warning, remarks, and counsels of affectionate friends. ”

“ That the most animated and most perfect works have been produced by such of our artists as have been naturally endowed with a fine manner, and are perpetually engaged in studious labour, is a truth exemplified by numerous pictures, and is to be observed in many masters ”

“ That what I here say is true has been clearly demonstrated in our own times by the works of the Florentine painter Domenico Puligo, seeing that in them, whoever has acquaintance with art will find all that I have remarked above to be fully exemplified. ”