Michelangelo was homely in feature, and the aspect of his countenance was
mutilated by a crashing blow from a rival student's mallet that flattened
his nose to his face. Torrigiano lives in history for this act alone,
thus proving that there are more ways than one to gain immortality.

Angelo was proud, self-centered, independent, and he sometimes lashed the
critics into a buzzing, bluebottle fury by his sarcastic speech. "He
affronted polite society, conformed to no one's dictates, lived like an
ascetic and worked like a packmule," says a contemporary.

Vasari, who among his many other accomplishments seems to have been the
Boswell of his time, compares Leonardo and Michelangelo. He says, "Angelo
can do everything that Leonardo can, although he does it differently."
Further, he adds, "Angelo is painter, sculptor, engineer, architect and
poet." "But," adds this versatile Italian Samuel Pepys, somewhat
sorrowfully, "he is not a gentleman."

It is to be regretted that Signor Vasari did not follow up his remarks
with his definition of the term "gentleman."

Leonardo was more of a painter than a sculptor. His pictures are full of
rollicking mirth, and the smile on the faces of his women is handed down
by imitation even to this day. The joyous freedom of animal life beckons
from every Leonardo canvas; and the backgrounds fade off into fleecy
clouds and shadowy, dreamy, opiate odor of violets.

Michelangelo, however, is true to his own life as Leonardo was to
his--for at the last the artist only reproduces himself. He never painted
a laugh, for life to him was serious and full of sober purpose. We can