Bernardino, a celebrated Italian painter, was born at Perugia in 1454. He was the disciple of Peter Perugino, under whom he became so good an artist, that he employed him on many occasions as his assistant. He principally painted history and grotesque; but he also excelled in portraits, among which those of Pope Pius II. and Innocent VIII. of Giulio Farnese, Caesar Borgia, and Queen Isabella of Spain, are particularly distinguished. The most memorable performance of Pinturicchio is the history of Pius II., painted in ten compartments in the monastery of Siena; in which undertaking, Raphael, then a young man, and bred under the same master, assisted him so far as to sketch out cartoons of many parts of the composition. The story of his death is worth relating, especially as it illustrates his character. The last work he was engaged in was a Nativity for the monastery of St Francis at Sienna: the monks accommodated him with a chamber to work in, which they cleared of all the furniture, except one old trunk or chest that appeared too rotten to move; but Pinturicchio, naturally positive and peevish, insisted on its being taken away, and the monks, willing to gratify him, complied. It was no sooner flung than one of the planks bursting, out tumbled 500 pieces of gold, which had been secreted there for many years. The monks were overjoyed at finding this treasure, and the painter proportionably mortified at losing his chance of the discovery by his indiscreet obstinacy: it affected his spirits so much that he survived but a few months, and it was generally considered as the cause of his death.