In this poem, the speaker is addressing not the reader but the artist's

wife, and we read his art of their conversation and thus deduce hers.
Browning's style, in his dramatic poetry, requires the reader to work and
infer what is meant from what is saidwhich may be its opposite.

In these selections from the poem 'Andrea del Sarto', we see the artist as,
in essence, a weak man who has sacrificed his artistic integrity in
obedience to his wife's immediate demands. We can see that del Sarto is
besotted with his Lucrezia: he is eager to receive such signs of tenderness
as the touch of her hand when next he gives her money; and he plainly
adores her physical form:

"How could you ever prick those perfect ears,

Even to put the pearl there!"

He gives, apparently as an excuse or justification for 'wasting' time

looking at her, the fact that she must be the model for his pictures
presumably to remove the need to pay a model.

The painter is plainly aware that he disappoints his wife, and that what he
offers her is inadequate, and he has to keep buying moments of her
affection. In the eighth line of the poem "And shut the money into this
small hand", it is made perfectly clear that his wife's favours are available
only when he pays for them, and subsequently it appears that he is not
the only man who can purchase them. He attempts to outbid the 'Cousin'
but ruefully acknowledges that the Cousin pleases her more, somehow,
and makes no serious attempt to oppose her will.

The picture that emerges of Lucrezia, the painter's wife, is of a cold,

mercenary and manipulative beauty who has no love whatever for her
husband. She does not noticeor care about?his exhaustion, and it is
clear that she expects him to be constantly at work, from the way he
excuses his moments of rest by telling her he will work better when he is
refreshed. Lucrezia obviously considers her husband's artistic ability
merely as a commodity, and has no interest in any artistic integrity or real
excellence: at the beginning of the poem she has obviously got a
commission for Andrea which he does not really want, and at a price set
by the customer, who also intends to dictate how and when the painting is
to be done. Later, the painter muses on what he could do if he were back
in France, free to paint as his inspiration dictates. But at once he is back
again in the sordid reality of his commercial dealings, in order to pay for
what his wife would bestow elsewhere. Indeed, Andrea admits that his
own abilities should put him on a par with other painters of acknowledged
greatness, but they had no wives:
"sostill they overcome
Because there's still Lucrezia..."

He understands that she trammels him, yet at the same time refuses to
admit the truth, because he loves her.

It is clear from the narrator's attitudes that he is making the best of the
situation and pretending to himself that he has chosen his present life. He
characterises his work and his life as "A twilight piece", having toned
down "My youth, my hope, my art" in accordance with the acquisitive
demands of his wife. He has, in fact, some recognition of his own talent;
he knows that if he could but paint as he wants to, he would be judged
great. But he tells himself that he has few regrets. The poet is able to
convey very clearly the painter's self-deception, and indeed his complicity
in his own misery. For Andrea treats Lucrezia on terms she has dictated,
and has abandoned his own wants and needs to defer to hers.

According to Giorgio Vasari, Andrea del Sarto was a very talented and
inspired artist, but lacking in the 'boldness and daring of spirit' to make
him truly great (and put him on a par with the Leonard, Rafael and
Agnolo to whom he compares himself). In this poem, it is clear that the
painter's own weakness, combined with the heartless venality of his wife,
combine to reduce his potential genius to the status of a painter who
paints to order.

The 'marital tragedy' view of this poem is certainly valid. The reader can
pity del Sarto for his helpless adoration of an unworthy and unfaithful
wife. It is obvious that he is unhappy in his marriage, and fooling himself
into believing he is content. However, it is not only a tragedy of a marital
nature. In this case, there is also the tragedy of talent unfulfilled: del
Sarto might have been truly great, but failed to achieve real greatness
through the defects of his own character and his wife's. The marital
tragedy might have been written about a clerk: in this poem, marital
misery is entangled with the loss of artistic integrity

Robert Brownings poem, Andrea del Sarto presents the reader with his views on the
painters life, an artist who has lost faith in the Parnassian ideal of living for art, and
now has to use art as a living. The poem looks at the darker side of the painter when
he was older, and expresses a lot about Browning as well, and how he thought his
work was perceived, and the context of his life and times. The poem covers many
ideas and themes, which not only create a powerful poem, but also create
commentary from Brownings prerogative of his own situation. The poem epitomizes
Brownings work, looking at a real figure in history, from Brownings own perspective,
in a real state of affairs. Although Del Sarto might have been regarded as The
Faultless painter in his time, on the inside he had to repress a struggle. As historian
Vasari pointed out, a certain timidity of spirit that stopped him from gaining true
recognition as one of the greats alongside Leonard, Rafael, Agnolo. This could be said
to express Brownings view of audience, since his wife was much more successful
than him. In this essay I will be looking at the poem, and how it relates to Browning
and the time it was written in.The poem has a very melancholy tone throughout,
expressing the feelings of Brownings Del Sarto, and to an extent Browning himself. It
deals with the artists demise, or recline, that he thinks is slowly starting to destroy
his life, and the freedom he once had as an artist.

Andrea del Sarto in detail

Andrea del Sarto is a painter who has worked in the court of French king Francis I.
He loves Lucrezia in his youth and he could not marry her at that time. He marries
her when she is widowed. But, she is not faithful to him. This is conversation
between Lucrezia and Andrea del Sarto. Lucrezia wants to leave him forever even
his love for her is not yet all diminished. The following paragraphs deal with this
issue in detail. This is total summary of the monologue.

Andrea praises Lucrezia's beauty

Andrea del Sarto asks his wife to sit beside him and listen to him. He beseeches to
wait and stay for some time to relax and be inspired through her smiles. But,
Lucrezia is not faithful to him. She is ready to go out as his cousin (actually lover) is
whistling to call her. She needs money to pay off the debts. For that purpose, Andrea
has to draw a picture. The picture will be sold and the money is kept into the hands
of his wife to clear the debts. For that, he needs inspiration. The smile of the loved
wife can help him get inspiration. But, she is reluctant to smile as she is between the
two. One is beside her and the other is calling for her staying outside. Andrea loves
her. Even he knows that she is going to part with her, she urges to stay with him
some more time. He begins to admire her beauty. He says her ears are so beautiful
that even pearls hanging from ears can disturb her beauty. He loves her voice and
the serpentine beauty. He says her face is like moon and has been loved by all but
she does not love any. This brings smile on the beautiful face of Lucrezia.

Remembrance of Andrea's mistakes

The smile hurled at Andrea awakens the spirit that he begins to convince Lucrezia to
stay with him. He says that autumn grayness has filled in his life and as well as in his
art. Hence, he wants her to stay with him. He wants to speak volumes on his failure
in bringing great art from him. He would have got name and fame if had walked in
the way of Michael Angelo and Rafael. They have not kept their art for money but for
the service of God. The popes and kings admired them for their great paintings. They
have earned name and fame. But because of Lucrezia, he has to go after money
rather than in the ways of great painters. He can draw faultless paintings. But
coercion of his wife and nagging nature of her made him deceive the king Francis I
of France. He is appointed as a painter to decorate the royal chambers. He has
spent his time in drawing paintings in royal palace. He has been given money to
procure needed paintings and for his future paintings. But, for Lucrezia's insistence,
he has built a house for her by deceiving the king and stayed in Italy. Now, he cannot
show his face to king or officers. He cannot come out in daylight as royal officers
may recognize him. Those who know him in Italy scold him. Thus, he is restricted to
his palatial home. He remembers the respect he got from the king in France. King
used to look at his paintings when he draws coming close to him which is not
possible to any subject of that country. He is appreciated by the courtiers. They used
to look at him with surprise looking at the ease of drawing. He is perfect painter as
Lucrezia who is perfect beauty. In the beginning, she is a model for his paintings.
Later, she had become better half of him. But, insistence of money has made Andrea
Del Sarto deceive king. He let his parents die in misery. Even in such situation, he is
not ready to leave her. Her smile can pay all the sorrows of him generated by her.
She does not like painting and does not know the nuances of it. He tries to say how
difficult it is to paint and how his peers are still lagging behind to complete a simple
work.

Inspiration and success

He could not convince her and this leads to disappointment in him. Even he tries to
say how importance she is to him. She is the sole inspiration to his pictures. She has
been a model for his drawings. If she seems happy, it will provide more inspiration to
draw. He says that praise or blame does not work on him. If any painter is praised,
he is inspired and paints. Otherwise, if one is blamed for his drawing, he will have
anger to show what he is. But, these two do not work on him. He is not perturbed
and not moved like mountain. But the smile of Lucrezia can inspire him. Even this
could not satisfy her. With this, he says there are no nagging wives for painters who
have excelled in their paintings. Yet, he does not blame her, but he blames himself
that inspiration should not come from external influences but to come from inner
spirit. Angelo or Rafael is inspired themselves. That is the reason they have excelled.
Thus he blames himself for his bad plight.

His understanding of capability and will

Andrea del Sarto laments on his situation saying that he has the capability but there
is no will or inspiration for him. Those who have will lack in capacity. This is what he
feels. He is still in the infatuation of Lucrezia. The combination of will and capacity is
rarest of rare. Only those come out and get name and fame. He has been dependent
on Lucrezia for his inspiration. He stayed in France for painting beautiful pictures for
King Francis. At that time itself, he used to imagine her face that she will surely be
happy for his position as he had been supported as Rafael has attained. He used to
surmise that one day or the other he will become like Angelo and Rafael. This is not
the opinion of him but the opinion of Angelo too. Once he has spoken about Andrea
with Rafael which has been over heard by him. Andrea clearly wants to win the heart
of Lucrezia and for her calling back; he leaves the great life in France. The king used
to be near him. He used to listen to the jingling sound of king's chain. But, he has left
such honor for the sake of Lucrezia. But now he has lost the glory. He needs
compensation for that in the form of smiles to be hurled at him all the time. That is
the reason he says with Lucrezia to stay with him. But, Lucrezia says it is the waste
of time to stay with him even that evening.

He compares himself as bat

Andrea compels and at times tries to convince to stay with him as she is the source
of his inspiration. Lucrezia wants to clear the debts of her lover and hence she asks
to draw a picture which can clear the debts of her friend's friend. He asks to sit
beside him. The presence will rejuvenate him to draw wonderful master pieces and it
will provide more money. Then he can give not only for her friend but also for her
dress frill. Andrea compares him with bat. The bat could not tolerate the sunshine
and wants to stay among the four walls closed. Now he is also in the same position.
He has left the glorious monarchs presence in France and living a life of solitary
confinement in his palatial which he embezzled under the pressure of Lucrezia to
own a house. Now he cannot show his face to anyone. Now he stays in Italy. Even
though he fears that some French officials on tour may see him. They may curse him
for his betrayal and spat on his face. He is ready to bear it but he does not incline to
leave the presence of her. He wants to prove how talented he is and how great her
husband is to Lucrezia. In this attempt, he quotes what Angelo has spoken of him
and what Rafael has mistaken in the Virgin Mary picture which has been sent
Rafael's disciple Vasari.

Talking about his excellence in art with Lucrezia

It is the great attempt of Andrea to get Lucrezia to be with him. He sacrificed a lot for
her. If pictures of virgin Mary's' are taken of Rafael and Andrea. If they ask anyone to
tell which picture they want to take for devotional purpose they surely select Rafael's.
If you ask why you have selected Rafael's, they tell you that Andra has Lucrezia as
his model. Still Rafael's Mary is technically defective. Andrea cannot say to the world
that it is defective. But with his wife he can say that. Even though it is technically
wrong it is filled with the soul of Rafael. It is the presence of heavenly inspiration
which helped him filled with soul imbibed picture even a child can understand.
Andrea's pictures are technically perfect and at the same time they are soul less.
He questions himself

In the monologue, he does attempt by attempt to get her. This time she stands at the
window perhaps she wants to communicate with her lover as he is whistling outside
the house in night. But Andrea says that there has prevailed darkness and stars are
appearing in the sky. The mount Morella has been shrouded by night but city walls
are looking bright as guards have lit the lights. He says the owl is crying that might
be the sarcastic reminder that fellow is whistling. So he says her to come inside the
house. He says that the house is filled with melancholy. He wants her to change
mind of going away from him. At the same time, his conscience pricks him by saying
that it has served him right as he has deceived the king and the money is
misappropriated in the construction of house. He has not taken care of his poor
parents who are born, lived and died in poverty. He is always taken away by the
beauty of Lucrezia and he shunned everything. After all these, his heart says that
she is gifting smile not to please him but to get money from him to pay off the debts
of her lover. He questions himself that what lacks in him and what the lover of her
can provide her.

Lucrezia leaves Andrea

Still he loves Lucrezia as a crazy being. He wants create some hope in her by saying
that whether he is summoned by French king. Then he will paint Virgin Mary not her
as a model but she is offered to sit beside him listening praises of Angelo looking at
his artistic excellence. Thus, he tries to persuade her. He thinks that this has not
worked but tries to have her sit for that evening. He asks her to go for next day. He
says her presence help him draw beautiful drawings which will bring more money.
Then she can pay off the debts of her cousin (actually her lover). But this also does
not work. Then he begins to chide himself that he has deceived the king which
cannot be corrected. He is not a good son as he has left his parents die in misery
and poverty. It is also not revocable. He loses his hope of keeping his wife with him
and says lastly that if in heaven there may be a chance to paint the walls of new holy
city. There are four painters i.e. Leonardo, Angelo, Rafael and Andrea. The three do
not have wives. But, Andrea has wife. He leaves that position to have Lucrezia. He is
ready to pay anything for her. He wants to see happiness in her eyes. For that he is
ready to give up anything. All his attempts to keep her with him become futile. A
whistle noise is heard and Lucrezia is allowed to meet her lover. Thus, Andrea is left
alone and he dies at the age of forty three due to plague. Thus the life of Andrea has
ended without recognition of his sacrifices. This is dramatic monologue by Robert
Browning.

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]

Overview[edit]

"Andrea del Sarto" is one of Browning's dramatic monologues that shows that Browning is trying
to create art that allows for the body and the soul to both be portrayed rather than just the body
or just the soul.[1] The poem is in blank verse and mainly uses iambic pentameter.[2][3]

The poem was inspired by Andrea del Sarto, originally named Andrea d'Angolo,
[4]
a renaissance artist. The historical del Sarto was born in Florence, Italy on July 16, 1486 and
died in Florence, Italy on September 29, 1530.[4] Del Sarto was the pupil of Piero di Cosimo.[4] del
Sarto was influenced by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Fra' Bartolommeo. [4]He began to
produce work in 1506.[4] His work stems from traditional Quattrocento painting.[4] Del Sarto was
revered for his art; some called him Andrea senza errori, the unerring. In his poem, Browning
cedes the paintings are free of errors, but that alone does not make a piece of art special or
evocative.[5] The poem is based on biographical material by Giorgio Vasari.[6]

Form[edit]

Two thirds of Browning's poetic works are written in unrhymed pentameters. [3] Browning is
considered one of the foremost innovators of the dramatic monologue, though he was little
known by contemporary Victorians. Critics of his time commented on his lack of rhyme scheme,
known as blank verse. Browning is also known for his originality, dramatic style and fresh subject
matter for the time, which complimented his lack of rhyme scheme.[7] Browning places his reader
in the scene through his use of temporal adverbs. The first line is an example, where the narrator
suggests "But do not let us quarrel any more." Any more, as used here is a temporal adverb
which also functions as a subordinate progressive. This literary tactic puts the reader inside the
action by allowing them to look both forwards and backwards in the situation. Browning creates
an internal world for his reader by giving them insight into how the narrator interprets the whole
scene, not just the words spoken: line four, "You turn your face, but does it bring your heart?"
refers to how the narrator is interpreting Lucrezia's body language. [8] Some literary analysts claim
Browning adapted his versification to his characters; Andrea del Sarto is no exception. It explores
aestheticism and human reciprocity, and as a result is written in near perfect iambic pentameter.[3]
[8]

Analysis[edit]

During his life Browning struggled with religion. At age 13, he announced he was atheist,
following in the foot steps of Percy Bysshe Shelley, the poet he looked up to.[9] As Browning got
older he was considered a Theist. Browning spent much of his work exploring and questioning
religion through his dramatic monologues.[10] Browning's main audience for all his poetry was his
beloved wife Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Browning based del Sarto's love for his wife, Lucrezia,
on his own love for his wife.[11] Andrea del Sarto explores broad themes such as if all human
interactions are governed by aesthetic or exchange value, failure, whether one's wife is a
possession, and morality in general.[5][8] Browning chose to use painters as his subjects during
the renaissance because art was much easier to access than writing, which was accessible only
to those of wealth.[12]

According to literary scholar Roma A. King the entire poem is between asserted artistic and
masculine virility and a steadily increasing awareness of debility. He backs this up by describing
the way that lines 21-22 he is trying to suggest his own masculine strength.

"Your soft hand is a woman of itself,/

And mine the mans bared breast she curls inside."

However, later undertones hint at a suspecting of lacking and not being enough, as Lucrezia still
chooses her lover over her husband, even though he is making her a romantic suit. He quickly
falls into a class of literary males who lack masculinity and passion, the only thing that makes
him truly different from Prufrock or any similar characters is that he is aware of his dilemma. King
discusses del Sarto's lack of virility, as he describes his wife the way a painter would, with lines
and shapes, as opposed to a husband or person of romantic interest in lines 122-124.

"But had youoh, with the same perfect brow,/

And perfect eyes, and more than perfect mouth,/
And the low voice my soul hears, as a bird"

Instead of images of interest and arousal, he speaks of her as a figure to be painted. [13]

This is much the same as in the rest of the work, according to Stefan Hawlin, another literary
scholar. He believes that Browning is explaining, through this poem, that del Sarto is not as
famous as many other artists because he shies away from the vivid and necessarily sexual
fullness of life, and the spirituality that is a part of that fullness. Hawlin also explains that his
wife's beauty is without a soul to del Sarto, its only a beauty on the outside, which perfectly
matches the state of del Sarto's art, which is beautiful, but spiritually e