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 outlines, 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.