In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

Drawing a ball doesn't take long. A few minutes later, a very realistic-looking ball appeared on the paper, next to the square.

“Hiss…” Botticelli was somewhat surprised.

Verrocchio was also surprised.

Anno was definitely trained in painting; Verrocchio was certain of that.

Unlike blocks, painting spheres requires more skill in capturing the sense of light.

Beginners cannot do this.

Therefore, the scope of searching for Anno's past is a bit narrower.

In fact, you'll never find it.

Verrocchio decided to test Anno's limits: "Lawrence, try drawing me."

He sat in the chair, put on a serious expression, and volunteered to be a model.

Anno nodded: "I'll try my best."

There was no modesty, nor any guarantee that I could draw it.

Botticelli remained standing behind Anno, intending to observe the scene.

Anno carefully observed the motionless Verrocchio, and after a long period of thought, he began to write.

He drew very slowly, and it took about half an hour before Anno stopped.

Verrocchio stood up from the bench, stretched his stiff limbs, walked over to Anno, and took Anno's work.

Although it was drawn, it was only of average quality and lacked its own style.

Verrocchio also had a pretty good idea of ​​Anno's level of skill in sketching.

Then, he was eager to find out about Anno's other skill levels.

Then, after spending a whole day with Botticelli messing around with Anno, Verrocchio had a pretty good idea of ​​Anno's skill level.

His sketching skills are beyond those of a beginner; they are decent, but he lacks his own style. As for other skills, he knows nothing about oil painting, sculpture, and jewelry making.

It's a strange situation, because there are quite a few studios in the vast city of Florence, but none of them are as large as Verrocchio's studio, and I've never heard of any studio that only teaches drawing.

Botticelli had already gone home, while Verrocchio and Anno sat in the studio chatting.

“So, I’d like to know your own wishes, Lawrence,” Verrocchio explained. “Although I teach everything here, my students usually choose one area to focus on.”

Anno smiled and replied, "Please let me think about it, Professor Verrocchio."

Verrocchio sighed; he had assumed Anno would choose the sketch.

However, he respected Anno's choice and could only nod: "Okay, can you tell me the answer tomorrow morning?"

"No problem, sir."

"That's good." Verrocchio glanced at the clock on the wall. "Let's go. If nothing unexpected happens, the servants should have already prepared the meal."

......

That evening, Verrocchio visited the church and the residences of several nobles, and gave them an account of Anno's situation.

But strangely enough, no one had ever heard of a nobleman's son, a wealthy merchant's son, or a painter's son named Lawrence.

Verrocchio had no choice but to ask them to keep an eye out for any families whose children named Lawrence had gone missing, and then returned to his own house dejectedly.

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Chapter 160 The Unfinished Past

For some reason, Anno didn't really want to do sketching, and instead chose the most niche field of jewelry making.

This surprised Verrocchio.

Jewelry making should actually be called goldsmithing, because those who learn jewelry making nowadays mainly deal with gold decorations and rarely handle jewelry and pearls.

Since he had said he would teach Anno whatever he wanted to learn, Verrocchio naturally agreed.

Verrocchio was very wealthy, and since gold could be recast, he began teaching Anno how to carve gold.

At the same time, Verrocchio did not give up on oil painting, sculpture, and drawing.

Therefore, Anno has a lot to learn every day, and he also needs to help with the cleaning and organization of the studio.

After working at Verrocchio's studio for a month, Anno became a bit more robust and was no longer as thin as before.

Verrocchio was very satisfied with Anno's learning ability. Although Anno learned a lot, he learned very quickly and had a solid foundation. More importantly, Anno had a very strong thirst for knowledge.

Several other members of his studio and students have also met with Anno.

Credy, who is usually listless; Grandayo, who is tall and has a flat face; and Perugino, who looks chubby.

With the addition of Botticelli with his zongzi-like hair and Lawrence, who just joined, that makes up the entirety of the Verrocchio Works.

These are the only ones who can be called students.

Although there aren't many people, the studio is the largest in terms of size and area, and the members are of very high quality, especially Botticelli and Perugino, who could each be the head of their own studio if they were chosen individually.

Both of them are very good at drawing people and buildings, so they are usually in a competitive relationship.

Verrocchio's teaching level was very high, so when members of his studio received orders for artworks, they would usually give Verrocchio a small portion of the money they received. In addition, Verrocchio himself was a relatively famous artist in Florence, and his works were very valuable, often being snapped up by many new and old nobles and idle connoisseurs and collectors.

January has arrived, and Verrocchio has run out of the sugar he bought, so he is going to the town of Falgao to buy more.

Of course, Anno should be brought along.

The road was very bumpy after the rain. Although his bottom hurt from the bumps, Anno didn't say anything because it was to go back and see Uncle Ferdinand and Aunt Anna.

After driving for more than two hours, we finally arrived at Ferdinand's house in the town of Falgao.

Anno lost his composure for the first time.

Aunt Anna sat at the door waiting for the carriage to arrive.

The two shared a simple hug, and Aunt Anna patted Anno on the back: "You've gotten a bit stronger, young man."

Anno just smiled shyly, scratched his head, and didn't say anything.

Ferdinand shook hands with Verrocchio: "Long time no see, Verrocchio."

"Long time no see, Ferdinand."

Ferdinand glanced at Anno, who was chatting with Aunt Anna about their work in the studio, and whispered to Verrocchio, "Anno's past...?"

Verrocchio sighed and shook his head.

“I see…” Ferdinand nodded, puzzled and regretful.

Verrocchio has considerable power; if even Verrocchio can't find it, then we can only pray that this poor young man will have good luck in the future and find his lost past on his own.

"Come on in, I'll be cooking today." He pulled the three of them into the house.

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Chapter 161 Two Orders

The get-together with Ferdinand and his wife passed quickly. After all, Verrocchio and Anno needed to return to Florence, so after having lunch and chatting about Anno's recent life in Florence and his study progress, a very pleased Ferdinand saw them off.

The tedious study time always passes quickly.

Anno is quiet and can concentrate on her studies, making rapid progress. Several of her senior classmates also felt a sense of crisis, which actually promoted a healthy competition.

In May, Verrocchio received an order.

The person who placed the order contacted Verrocchio and ordered a 1:1 scale bronze statue of David, requiring it to be completed within six months.

The price of this bronze sculpture was extremely high; the deposit alone was 600 Floras paid by the nobleman who placed the order.

The insane price instantly motivated Verrocchio, who instructed Anno to purchase a sufficient quantity of copper and gold, while he himself worked day and night researching the data.

Verrocchio and several students spent an entire day discussing design proposals before finally creating an image that satisfied everyone to a general degree.

In the design, David is young and confident, holding a double-edged sword in his right hand, displaying his strong muscles. He wears simple clothes decorated with gold, and at his feet is a head—the head of the evil giant Goliath, with a wound on his head from being hit by a stone.

The studio members referred to this rare, life-size bronze statue as a "commemorative sculpture" because the nobleman who placed the order was an admirer of King David.

After finalizing the near-perfect design with the nobleman, Verrocchio began construction.

The process of bronze casting is extremely slow and can only be done little by little.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Anno, a newcomer to the industry, also received his first order.

A laborer living in Florence plans to paint a portrait of his deceased wife.

After consulting with Botticelli, Anno set the price at 7 Floras.

The residents of Florence were relatively wealthy, and they readily agreed.

Before Anno began writing, Verrocchio said earnestly, "This is your first time accepting an external order. Your skill level is already sufficient. Remember, Lawrence, stay calm."

“The artist’s first commission is extremely important and also relates to the evaluation by the Florentine Academy of Painters.”

Anno, who had grown a little taller, smiled and replied, "I understand, Professor Verrocchio."

He chose to grow his hair long and tie it behind his back. His slightly thin face, paired with eyes that seemed to hold the stars, made him look very elegant.

Sensing Anno's confidence, Verrocchio smiled as well.

“Your composure and calmness are your most valuable assets, Lawrence,” Verrocchio slapped Anno on the shoulder and laughed. “Keep it up, kid!”

Anno and the laborer went to the painters' association, signed a contract, and then, based on the laborer's description, Anno began to paint.

The laborer's wife was a little plump and always wore a black scarf. She was hardworking and gentle, and the couple had a son.

Unfortunately, a few months ago, the man's wife passed away from tuberculosis, which is why he came to an artist to paint a picture in memory of his wife.

Anno comforted the choked-up man, picked up her paintbrush and palette, and began her performance.

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Chapter 162 A Perfect Start

Anno's learning ability is terrifying; this is a learning ability that Verrocchio acknowledges.

Therefore, his painting skills are very high.

The price is so low simply because it's the first time I've taken orders.

In fact, given the quality of Anor's oil paintings, if priced according to the official Florentine prices, the price would likely rise to around 15 Florentine dollars.