certain men of Siena, carried away by love of their own
country, attribute these works to others, it may easily be recognized
that they are the handiwork of Timoteo, both from the grace and
sweetness of the colouring, and from other memorials of himself that he
left in that most noble school of excellent painters.
Now, although Timoteo was well and honourably placed in Rome, yet, not
being able to endure, as many do, the separation from his own country,
and also being invited and urged every moment to come home by the
counsels of his friends and by the prayers of his mother, now an old
woman, he returned to Urbino, much to the displeasure of Raffaello, who
loved him dearly for his good qualities. And not long after, having
taken a wife in Urbino at the suggestion of his family, and having
become enamoured of his country, in which he saw that he was highly
honoured, besides the circumstance, even more important, that he had
begun to have children, Timoteo made up his mind firmly never again to
consent to go abroad, notwithstanding, as may still be seen from some
letters, that he was invited back to Rome by Raffaello. But he did not
therefore cease to work, and he made many works in Urbino and in the
neighbouring cities. At Forli he painted a chapel in company with
Girolamo Genga, his friend and compatriot; and afterwards he painted
entirely with his own hand a panel that was sent to Citta di Castello,
and likewise another for the people of Cagli. At Castel Durante, also,
he executed some works in fresco, which are truly worthy of praise, as
are all the other works by his hand, which bear witness that he was a
graceful painter in figures, landscapes, and every other field of
painting. In Urbino, at the instance of Bishop Arrivabene of Mantua, he
painted the Chapel of S. Martino in the Duomo, in company with the same
Genga; but the altar-panel and the middle of the chapel are entirely by
the hand of Timoteo. For the same church, also, he painted a Magdalene
standing, clothed in a short mantle, and covered below this by her own
tresses, which reach to the ground and are so beautiful and natural,
that the wind appears to move them; not to mention the divine beauty of
the expression of her countenance, which reveals clearly the love that
she bore to her Master.
In S. Agata there is another panel by the hand of the same man, with
some very good figures. And for S. Bernardino, without that city, he
made that work so greatly
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