but a very short time. Titian did not approve
of the boy's work, and refused to keep him in the studio; so poor,
disappointed Tintoretto went home again, and felt as if all sunshine
and hope had gone for ever from his life. It was a bitter
disappointment to his father and mother too, for they had set their
hearts on the boy becoming an artist. But in spite of all this,
Tintoretto did not lose heart or give up his dreams. He worked on by
himself in his own way, and Titian's paintings taught him many things
even though the master himself refused to help him. Then too he saw
some work of the great Michelangelo, and learned many a lesson from
that. Thenceforward his highest ideal was always 'the drawing of
Michelangelo and the colour of Titian.

The young artist lived in a poor, bare room, and most of his money went
in the buying of little pieces of old sculpture or casts. He had a very
curious way of working the designs for his pictures. Instead of drawing
many sketches, he made little wax models of figures and arranged them
inside a cardboard or wooden box in which there was a hole to admit a
lighted candle. So, besides the grouping of the figures, he could also
arrange the light and shade.

But, though he worked hard, fame was long in coming to Tintoretto.
People did not understand his way of painting. It was not after the
manner of any of the great artists, and they were rather afraid of his
bold, furious-looking work.

Nevertheless Tintoretto worked steadily on, always hoping, and whenever
there was a chance of doing any work, even without receiving payment
for it, he seized it eagerly.

It happened just then that the young Venetian artists had agreed to
have a show of their paintings, and had hired a room for the exhibition
in the Merceria, the busiest part of Venice.

Tintoretto was very glad of the chance of showing his work, so he sent
in a portrait of himself and also one of his brother. As soon as these
pictures were seen people began to take more notice of the clever young
painter, and even Titian allowed that his work was good. His portraits
were always fresh and life-like, and he drew with a bold strong touch,
as you will see if you look at the drawing I have shown you--the head
of a Venetian boy, such as Tintoretto met daily among the fisher-folk
of Venice.

From that time Fortune began to smile on Tintoretto. Little by little
work began to come in. He was asked to paint altarpieces for the
churches,