masters. In this way,
executing what work he could find, he was able to maintain himself, his
mother, and his sister with his art, and to pursue the studies of
painting.

[Illustration: CUPOLA OF THE PONZETTI CHAPEL

(_After the fresco by =Baldassarre Peruzzi=. Rome: S. Maria della Pace_)

_Anderson_]

His first work--apart from some things at Siena, not worthy of
mention--was in a little chapel near the Porta Fiorentina at Volterra,
wherein he executed some figures with such grace, that they led to his
forming a friendship with a painter of Volterra, called Piero, who lived
most of his time in Rome, and going off with that master to that city,
where he was doing some work in the Palace for Alexander VI. But after
the death of Alexander, Maestro Piero working no more in that place,
Baldassarre entered the workshop of the father of Maturino, a painter of
no great excellence, who at that time had always plenty of work to do in
the form of commonplace commissions. That painter, then, placing a panel
primed with gesso before Baldassarre, but giving him no scrap of drawing
or cartoon, told him to make a Madonna upon it. Baldassarre took a piece
of charcoal, and in a moment, with great mastery, he had drawn what he
wished to paint in the picture; and then, setting his hand to the
colouring, in a few days he painted a picture so beautiful and so well
finished, that it amazed not only the master of the workshop, but also
many painters who saw it; and they, recognizing his ability, contrived
to obtain for him the commission to paint the Chapel of the High-Altar
in the Church of S. Onofrio, which he executed in fresco with much grace
and in a very beautiful manner. After this, he painted two other little
chapels in fresco in the Church of S. Rocco a Ripa. Having thus begun to
be in good repute, he was summoned to Ostia, where he painted most
beautiful scenes in chiaroscuro in some apartments of the great tower of
the fortress; in particular, a hand-to-hand battle after the manner
in which the ancient Romans used to fight, and beside this a company of
soldiers delivering an assault on a fortress, wherein the attackers,
covered by their shields, are seen making a beautiful and spirited
onslaught and planting their ladders against the walls, while the men
within are hurling them back with the utmost fury. In this scene, also,
he painted many antique instruments of war, and likewise various kinds
of arms; with many other scenes