430 THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. Chap. XIII. j Hi! companionship, by a similar age, and by common pur suits. They had before them the examples of Giotto, Orcagna, Masaccio, and Ghirlandaio in the past; those of Michael Angelo and Leonardo in the present. With those of Raphael they were soon to make acquaintance; and these were' incentives to progress too strong to fail of their effect. Baccio, thanks to industry and heart, attained to a grandeur nearly approaching that of Buonarotti. He almost equalled Sanzio in decorous composition; Leonardo was his teacher as regards the technica of colour, 1 and if he was not absolutely on the level of any one of them, he was so close as to be necessarily counted a great ge nius by their side. The first misfortune which befel him was the loss of his brother Domenico in I486, 2 an event melancholy in itself, but perhaps not seriously felt by the elastic nerves of a child. A more serious blow was the death of his father which occurred in the following year, leaving Bac cio in charge to his mother, who was not destined long to survive. 3 Under these altered conditions it is probable that the family-circle grew dearer to him, and that he frequented it with unwonted assiduity. From that time also he, no doubt, became known as Baccio della Porta from the vicinity of the maternal dwelling to the gate of S. Pier’ Gattolino; 4 and it was natural that he and Alber- tinelli should often retire there together in the evenings after their work, and spend the hours before sleep in eager and confidential converse. The produce of their industry in Rosselli’s shop was of such a kind, that if it were to be found at all, it would be under Rosselli’s name, and display his impress or that of Piero di Cosimo. 5 It would be presuming even to base 3 See antea, note to p. 427. 4 Va s. VII. 150.