BATTISTA (Franco), a celebrated painter, born at Venice, was one of the disciples of Michael Angelo, whose manner he followed so closely, that, in the correctness of his out-lines, he surpassed most of the masters of his time. His paintings are pretty numerous, and dispersed all over Italy, and other parts of Europe; but his colouring being very dry, they are not much more esteemed than the prints etched by his hand. He died in 1561.