Andrea’s Time in France: Andrea del Sarto was once a very successful painter. He was invited to the court of King Francis I of France. The king gave him great honour and a lot of money to paint for him. Andrea felt proud and happy. He worked in the king’s court and enjoyed the rich life of France. He even says:

“A good time, was it not, my kingly days?”

Embezzling the King’s Money: Andrea did not use the money as the king asked. Instead, he used it to build a house for himself and his wife, Lucrezia, in Florence (Italy). He does this because he loves his wife very much and wants to give her a comfortable life. Andrea knows that he did wrong. But he also tries to excuse himself. He says that he had no riches of his own and that his parents died in poverty.

In short, Andrea stole the king’s money to please his wife and build a better life. He calls it a sin, but he also feels sad that he was poor and weak. He knows that he betrayed the king’s trust, but still, he tries to find peace in his love for Lucrezia.