Andrea del Sarto (Italian: [andra del sarto]; 14861530) was an Italian painter from Florence,

whose career flourished during the High Renaissance and early Mannerism. Though highly
regarded during his lifetime as an artist senza errori ("without errors"), his renown was eclipsed
after his death by that of his contemporaries, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.

Andrea married Lucrezia (del Fede), widow of a hatter named Carlo, of Recanati, on 26
December 1512. Lucrezia appears in many of his paintings, often as a Madonna. However,
Vasari describes her as "faithless, jealous, and vixenish with the apprentices."[6] She is similarly
characterized in Robert Browning's poem.

Andrea died in Florence at age 43 during an outbreak of Bubonic Plague at the end of
September 1530. He was buried unceremoniously by the Misericordia in the church of the
Servites. In Lives of the Artists, Vasari claimed Andrea received no attention at all from his wife
during his terminal illness.[6] However, it was well-known at the time that plague was highly
contagious, so it has been speculated that Lucrezia was simply afraid to contract the virulent
and frequently-fatal disease. If true, this well-founded caution was rewarded, as she survived
her husband by 40 years.[1]

It was Michelangelo who had introduced Vasari in 1524 to Andrea's studio. He is said to have
thought very highly of Andrea's talents. Of those who initially followed his style in Florence, the
most prominent would have been Jacopo Pontormo, but also Rosso Fiorentino, Francesco
Salviati and Jacopino del Conte. Other lesser known assistants and pupils include Bernardo del
Buda, Lamberto Lombardi, Nannuccio Fiorentino and Andrea Squazzella.[11]

Vasari, however, was highly critical of his teacher, alleging that, though having all the
prerequisites of a great artist, he lacked ambition and that divine fire of inspiration which
animated the works of his more famous contemporaries, like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo
and Raphael.