ship of his mother Calliope, but under good auspices and a fortunate augurj, since Calliope is one of the nine muses, and seeing too the close conformity which exists between painting and poetry. After the child therefore had been carefully brought up by the prudent mother, and had been by her initiated into his earliest studies, that of drawing among the rest, the youth entered on his first acquaintance with the world at the time when the divine Raphael Sanzio was flourishing. Having been placed in the first instance to learn the calling of the Groldsmith, he was summoned by his elder brother, Messer Pier Antonio, who was then studying in Bologna, to that most noble city, to the end that he might there pursue that vocation, for which he seemed to have a natural inclination, under the discipline of some good master.
From that period Timoteo dwelt for a considerable time in Bologna, where he was much esteemed, and by the magnificent and noble Messer Francesco Gombruli was received into his house with every kind of courtesy. Passing his time entirely with virtuous and ingenious men, Timoteo was in a few months well known as a promising and deserving youth, v^ho was much more decidedly inclined to the art of painting than to that of the goldsmith. Of this he gave evidence in certain portraits of his friends and others, which were exceedingly well executed, insomuch that it appeared most desirable to the elder brother above-named, that a free development should be afibrded the genius of the youth, and furthermore that to this end it would be proper to remove him from the files and chisels, thus enabling him to devote himself wholly to the study of design; Pier Antonio was moreover persuaded to adopt that course by many of liis friends, and Timoteo, being greatly rejoiced at this decision, instantly applied himself to drawing and the various labours of art, copying and designing with great assiduity all the best works to be found in that city, and always frequenting the society of painters.[1] He entered with so much zeal on his new path, that the progress which he made from day to day was matter of astonishment, and the rather as he readily acquired the most difficult parts of his art, without having
- ↑ From documents cited by Malvasia, we find that Timoteo studied nearly five years with Francia, by whom he was greatly beloved. See the Felsina Pittrice, p. 55.
