In about 1595, Federico Zuccaro created a series of drawings that tells the rags-to-riches tale of his adored teacher and older brother, Taddeo Zuccaro. It is the first illustrated artist's biography in Western art. Federico aimed to use these drawings' designs for the decoration of his lavish Roman palace, which he intended to be a hostel that would protect young artists in Rome from the hardships that befell his beloved elder brother.

Allegories of Faith and Hope, Flanking Federico's Device, the Sugar Loaf

The series begins with this allegorical drawing depicting figures flanking a roundel with the Zuccaro family emblem: a cone of sugar (zucchero) decorated with pumpkin flowers (fiori di zucca). Both motifs are wordplays on the name Zuccaro. Dressed in a long, hooded cloak and holding a cross, Faith gestures toward the heavens while a small dog representing fidelity paws her knee. Hope lifts her eyes to heaven, her hands joined in prayer.

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