He was born at Ferrara, but moved to Bologna by his early twenties, and was probably influenced by the Bolognese School.

However, many artists worked in both cities, and thus some consider him a product of the School of Ferrara.

In 1509 he moved to Mantua to become the court painter of Marquis Francesco Gonzaga[1] and Isabella d'Este.

For the latter's studiolo in the Ducal Palace, he painted the Allegory of Isabella d'Este's Coronation (now at the Louvre) and the Reign of Comus, two mythological paintings based on Mantegna's drawings.

Contemporaries who worked with or under him include Cosimo Tura, Dosso Dossi, Ludovico Mazzolino, Lorenzo Leonbruno, and Niccolò Pisano.