That old master who had to paint a Venus was not content to
see one virgin only, but studied many, and taking from each her most
beautiful and perfect feature gave them to his Venus; and, in truth, who
ever expects to arrive at a true theory of art without this method of
study is greatly mistaken.
LXVI. All through his life Michael Angelo has been very abstemious, taking
food more from necessity than from pleasure, especially when at work, at
which time, for the most part, he has been content with a piece of bread,
which he munched whilst he laboured. But latterly he has lived more
regularly, his advanced age requiring it. I have often heard him say:
"_Ascanio, rich man as I have made myself, I have always lived as a poor
one._" And as he took little food so he took little sleep, which, as he
says, rarely did him any good, for sleeping almost always made his head
ache, and too much sleep made his stomach bad. When he was more robust he
often slept in his clothes and with his buskins on; this he made a habit
of for fear of the cramp, from which he continually suffered, besides
other reasons; and he has sometimes been so long without taking them off
that when he did so the skin came off with them like the slough of a
snake. He was never miserly with his money, nor did he hoard it, contented
with enough to live honestly. Works from his hand were sought for more and
more by the gentry and rich people with large promises, but he has rarely
satisfied them; and when he has done so, it has been from friendship and
goodwill rather than for hope of reward.
Pages:
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95