29Andrea Verrocchio organized an excellent banquet in his workshop. The first-year apprentices, who served the various dishes, are now starting to bring candied fruit, almond biscuits and herbal liquors, both bitter and sweet.
Leonardo has already left the dining table and is sitting on a straight-backed chair that he, himself, had inlaid with the shape of a horse’s head and is now busy tuning a hand-held lyre. He plucks one of the strings with his right hand while using the left to move a tuning peg, to tune it correctly. With what elegance and lightness he holds that cumbersome instrument on his lap, as though it were his own child! He has most certainly constructed this musical instrument with his own hands, just as he had the chair. I notice that red spruce was used for the sounding b
