Century XVI

On this large canvas (159 × 127.5 cm) the Madonna is depicted with the Christ Child and Saint John the Baptist. Mary, clad in a red tunic and blue mantle, stands in a serenely formal pose with a halo above her head; the Infant Christ raises His hand in blessing, while John the Baptist – […]

Giovanni Paolo Cavagna — Portrait with a Lemon (132 × 107 cm), last decade of the 16th century. This is a formal portrait in the Venetian manner, distinguished by severity and restrained dignity. It depicts a successful fruit merchant from Venice (hence the lemon in his hand). An elderly man in a black robe with […]

Giovanni De Vecchi — The Visitation (150 × 148 cm). The Visitation is a favorite theme of the Italian Renaissance, rendered here with the clarity of composition and harmony of color characteristic of the Roman-Florentine tradition. The composition is built on the juxtaposition of the two central figures – the Virgin Mary and Saint Elizabeth […]

Domenico Tintoretto – Portrait of a Venetian (115 × 95 cm). This is a formal portrait of a noble Italian from the late 16th century, likely connected with trade. The man is shown in three-quarter view, dressed in austere black attire with a high white lace collar that underscores his status and refinement. His confident […]

Cristofano dell’Altissimo – Portrait of Romulus, Founder of Rome (61 × 47 cm), 16th century. A bust-length profile facing left against a dark neutral background; an inscription in gold Roman capitals, “ROMVLO RE DI ROMA”, explicitly identifies the figure as Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. A man with a short dark beard is crowned […]

Alessandro Allori – Portrait of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Florentine School, circa 1560. This portrait is a characteristic example of the official portrait tradition of Tuscan Mannerism in the second half of the sixteenth century. Depicted is Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–1574), Grand Duke of Tuscany, at roughly forty years of age – at the […]

Francesco Salviati – Portrait of a Young Man (79 × 59,5 cm). A half-length portrait of a man in three-quarter view set against a severe architectural niche with pilasters. The sitter turns to the left and looks toward the viewer; he wears a black doublet and a beret, with a white shirt whose fine lace […]