Tintoretto's entry

Four Italian artists were invited to make a design for a large mural, and eventually a selection would be made. While the other artists were labouring at their designs, Tintoretto, in secret, measured the actual size of the space. Then, not only secretly but also rapidly, he painted a great canvas and placed it in the exact place for the public to appreciate.

The officials who had invited him to enter the competition did not appreciate the artist's dishonest manner. They were extremely angry with him. How could he do this without being formally commissioned?

Tintoretto said to these officials: "Dear friends, this is how the artist in me works. Now either you buy it as a piece of art or take it as a small gift."