e him attend with more study to painting, and exercise the
beautiful intellect with which it is evident that he was endowed by
nature.

FOOTNOTE:

[14] Amatrice.

FRANCESCO MAZZUOLI

LIFE OF FRANCESCO MAZZUOLI

[_PARMIGIANO_]

PAINTER OF PARMA

Among the many natives of Lombardy who have been endowed with the
gracious gift of design, with a lively spirit of invention, and with a
particular manner of making beautiful landscapes in their pictures, we
should rate as second to none, and even place before all the rest,
Francesco Mazzuoli of Parma, who was bountifully endowed by Heaven with
all those parts that are necessary to make a supreme painter, insomuch
that he gave to his figures, in addition to what has been said of many
others, a certain nobility, sweetness, and grace in the attitudes which
belonged to him alone. To his heads, likewise, it is evident that he
gave all the consideration that is needful; and his manner has therefore
been studied and imitated by innumerable painters, because he shed on
art a light of grace so pleasing, that his works will always be held in
great price, and himself honoured by all students of design. Would to
God that he had always pursued the studies of painting, and had not
sought to pry into the secrets of congealing mercury in order to become
richer than Nature and Heaven had made him; for then he would have been
without an equal, and truly unique in the art of painting, whereas, by
searching for that which he could never find, he wasted his time,
wronged his art, and did harm to his own life and fame.

Francesco was born at Parma in the year 1504, and because he lost his
father when he was still a child of tender age, he was left to the care
of two uncles, brothers of his father, and both painters, who brought
him up with the greatest lovingness, teaching him all those praiseworthy
ways that befit a Christian man and a good citizen. Then, having made
some little growth, he had no sooner taken pen in hand in order to learn
to write, than he began, spurred by Nature, who had consecrated him at
his birth to design, to draw most marvellous things; and the master who
was teaching him to write, noticing this and perceiving to what heights
the genius of the boy might in time attain, persuaded his uncles to let
him give his attention to design and painting. Whereupon, being men of
good judgment in matters of art, although they were old and painters of
no great fame,