His greatest work of all is the bronze equestrian statue of Bartolommeo Colleoni in Venice, the finest thing of its kind in the world, and so glorious and exciting indeed that every city should have a cast of it in a conspicuous position just for the good of the people.

It was while at work upon this that Verrocchio died, at the age of fifty-three.

His body was brought from Venice by his pupil Lorenzo di Credi, who adored him, and was buried in S.Ambrogio in Florence.

Lorenzo di Credi painted his portrait, which is now in the Uffizi--a plump, undistinguished-looking little man.
In the David room are also the extremely interesting rival bronze reliefs of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, which were made by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi as trials of skill to see which would win the commission to design the new gates of the Baptistery, as I have told earlier in this book.

Six competitors entered for the contest; but Ghiberti's and Brunelleschi's efforts were alone considered seriously.