I begin with Franceseo Primaticcio, proposing to speak afterwards of Tiziano Vecellio, and Jacopo Sansovino. Francesco was born in Bologna, of the noble family of the Primaticci, which is much celebrated by Fra Leonardo Alberti, and by Pontano. In his first youth he was destined to commerce, but this vocation did not please him: being of elevated mind and spirit he began to practise design, to which he was much inclined by nature, nor did any long time elapse before he gave many proofs, sometimes in drawing, and sometimes in painting, of the ability which finally raised him to distinction. Proceeding afterwards to Mantua, where Giulio Romano was then working for Duke Federigo, at the Palace of the T, Francesco found means to gain a place among the many other young men who were labouring with Giulio at that undertaking.
Here, devoting himself with infinite diligence to the studies of his art, during six years; Francesco learned to work admirably in stucco, as well as to handle the colours; wherefore, among all the young men who then laboured in the palace, Francesco was considered one of the best. Nay, his design and colouring were thought the best of all, and the proof that they were so may be seen in a large apartment, for which he executed a double range of ornaments, comprising a vast number of figures in stucco, which represent the ancient Roman soldiery. He executed many of the paintings also, which are still to be seen in that palace, after the designs of Giulio. These things caused Francesco to be much favoured by the Duke, and when King Francis of France, having heard of the decorations with which he was adorning his palace,[1] wrote, requesting that a young man who understood painting and stucco-work might be sent him, the Duke despatched Francesco, who repaired to France accordingly in the year 1531. Twelve months earlier, the Florentine painter, Rosso, had entered the service of the French king, as we have said, and had executed many labours for that Monarch, more especially the pictures of Bacchus and Venus, and Cupid and Psyche; yet the first stucco work executed in France, and the first frescoes of any
- ↑ For details respecting these works, the reader is referred to Cadioli, Descrizione delle pitture e sculture di guesta città di Mantova, 1763. See also Bottari, Descrizione Storica. The Dissertazione sulle lettere ed arti Mantovane of Bettinelli, may likewise be consulted with advantage.
