Cartwright, Julia: The painters of Florence: from the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth century (London: John Murray, 1910)

XXIV
MARIOTTO ALBERTINELLI
1474-15i5
The great influence exerted by Fra Bartolommeo on
his contemporaries is proved by the number of excel-
lent masters who adopted his manner and worked in
his style. Chief among these was Mariotto Alberti-
nelli, or, as his family was originally called, Bertinelli
He was born in Florence on the 13th of October, 1474,
and, after practising his father’s trade of gold-beater for
several years, was apprenticed to Cosimo Rosselli, and
learnt painting from this master and his more dis-
tinguished assistant, Piero di Cosimo. In their work-
shop Mariotto first met Baccio della Porta, and formed
that friendship which lasted to the end of his life.
Albertinelli was, writes Vasari, another Fra Barto-
lommeo. So entirely did he sink his own artistic
individuality in that of his friend, that it is often
difficult to distinguish between the work of the two
artists. But, as we have already seen, Mariotto's
character and habits were strangely unlike those of
the Dominican friar. Baccio was gentle and serious,
fond of study and music, and devoted to Fra Girolamo
and his teaching. Mariotto was a gay, reckless
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