In this picture he stands aloof from the figures about him, and, with
his head inclined to one side, seems to be listening to the song of
the angels in the upper air. The brown eyes are full of earnestness;
but the round face and slight mouth have no set purpose other than to
suggest sentiment and symmetry. A very pretty type, no doubt; but not
a strong one. A man of power like Michelangelo could have very little
sympathy with it. Indeed, he sneered at the pretty face and called
Perugino a dolt and blockhead in art. That was more than Perugino
could bear, and, in a rage, he brought Michelangelo before the Council
of Eight on a charge of slander. But it only resulted in a laugh at
Perugino's expense. His action was perhaps foolish; but his pictures
are not to be laughed at. They are excellent in color, and the pretty
face that Michelangelo scorned became the early model for Perugino's
great pupil, Raphael.