▁ 2 2 ▁July ▁ 1 6 9 2 ), ▁also ▁sp elled ▁del ▁Po , ▁was ▁an ▁Italian ▁painter , ▁eng ra ver ▁and ▁dra ug ht s man ▁of ▁the ▁Bar o que . ▁He ▁was ▁more ▁distinguished ▁as ▁an ▁eng ra ver ▁than ▁as ▁a ▁painter . ▁ ▁Early ▁Life ▁Pietro ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Pal ermo ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 6 , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Francesco ▁Jac opo ▁and ▁Frances ca ▁lo ▁Po . ▁He ▁began ▁to ▁draw ▁at ▁a ▁very ▁early ▁age ▁and ▁later ▁began ▁to ▁paint ▁under ▁the ▁guidance ▁of ▁an ▁unknown ▁master . ▁He ▁married ▁Maria ▁Mon fort i ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁July ▁ 1 6 3 7 ▁in ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁Santa ▁Cro ce ▁in ▁Pal ermo . ▁After ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁wife , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Nap les ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 4 , ▁perhaps ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁more ▁stim ulating ▁environment . ▁Nap les ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁a ▁l ively ▁art istic ▁center , ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁such ▁artists ▁as ▁J use pe ▁de ▁R iber a , ▁D omen ich ino ▁and ▁Giovanni ▁Lan fran co ; ▁the ▁latter ▁artists ▁had ▁come ▁from ▁Rome . ▁It ▁was ▁indeed ▁this ▁classic ist ▁style ▁that ▁provided ▁an ▁interest ▁for ▁Del ▁P ò . ▁The ▁sources ▁indicate ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁student ▁of ▁D omen ich ino , ▁but ▁direct ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁Bolog n ese ▁artist ▁is ▁now ▁disput ed . ▁R ather , ▁it