Bertoldo must be considered the instructor of Michael Angelo in his beloved art of sculpture, and the most important influence in shaping his genius.

Very little is known of the man upon whom this responsibility was placed, but he appears to have been worthy of it.

Vasari tells us that Bertoldo "was old and could not work; that he was none the less an able and highly reputed artist, not only because he had most diligently chased and polished the casts in bronze for the pupils of Donatello his master, but also for the numerous casts in bronze of battle-pieces and other little things, which he had executed of his own; there was no one then in Florence more masterly in such work." We have no important work entirely by Bertoldo, but he must have been a considerable artist or he would not have been appointed to his important post by such a wise man as Lorenzo the Magnificent.

His share of the work for the pulpits of San Lorenzo was probably much greater than we are accustomed to think.

Vasari's word _rinettato_ had a much wider meaning to him than it has to us, the chasing of a bronze was considered no small part of its quality by the Florentines.