The _Madonna del Sacco_, over the door of the entrance to the
church from the cloister, would seem to have been painted in the same
year, 1514, judging from Biadi's extract from the MS. account books of
the Servite Fathers existing in the archives, where is an entry
"Giugno, 1514, ad Andrea del Sarto, per resto della Madonna del Sacco,
lire 56." This term _resto_ (remainder) would imply a previous
payment. The money was a thank-offering from a woman for having been
absolved from a vow by one of the Servite priests. Like all his other
frescoes of this church, Andrea only gained ten scudi for this
masterpiece. The date of MDXXV. and the words "Quem genuit adoravit" on
the pilasters of this work have led most writers to suppose it painted
in that year; but it is probable they were added by a later hand. Biadi
[Footnote: Biadi, _Notizie_, &c., p. 42 note.] says the letters
are of the style of nearly two centuries later, that Andrea would have
signed it, like all his other and works, with his monogram of the
crossed A's (i.e. Andrea d' Agnolo). For charming soft harmonies of
colour, simplicity, and grace of design, this surpasses all his other
frescoes.
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