His father made surgical instruments and barbers' tools. He received a broad childhood education, possibly from the
Jesuits. His initial art studies were with a local master,
José Luzán (who had studied with
Francesco Solimena in
Naples),
Antonio González Velázquez, for whom he worked as an assistant, and . In 1758, when Francisco received a scholarship to study in Madrid, at the
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, his siblings followed; having been orphaned. González, who was then living in Madrid, helped support the family. While there, he created some religious works; notably at the
Charterhouse of Aula Dei. He was expelled in 1759, after conflicts with his instructors, so he returned to Zaragoza with Ramón, who became his first student. Shortly after his return, he married Sebastiana Merklein, his former teacher's daughter. The marriage was intended as an introduction to society, and commissions soon followed. In 1763, he was recalled to Madrid by
Anton Raphael Mengs, to help decorate the
Royal Palace. That same year, was given a position at the
Royal Tapestry Factory by King
Charles III. There, together with Ramón, he created designs and "cartones" (cartoons). He also re-enrolled at the Academia. In 1766, he received a scholarship to study in Italy. In addition to his tapestry work, he executed numerous decorative paintings at various palaces and churches. In later years, one of his colleagues was
Francisco Goya, who had married his sister,
Josefa Bayeu. He was named a professor and Lieutenant-Director of the Academia in 1765, and was appointed a
court painter in 1767. After several applications, he became Director of Painting at the Academia in 1788. The death of his brother Ramón, to whom he had been very close, caused his already poor health to deteriorate even further. He was finally named Director of the Academia in 1795, shortly before his death from what contemporaries describe as an "agonizing disease"; possibly the same
lead poisoning that had afflicted Ramón. ==Sources==