Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
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Florentine school of the sixteenth century
Cristofano di Papi dell'Altissimo (Florence 1525 – 1605) workshop
Portrait of Dante Alighieri (Florence 1265 - Ravenna 1321)
Oil on panel, 58 x 45 cm. In frame 84 x 70 cm.
We present this valuable painting, one of the rare portraits of Dante Alighieri (Florence 1265 – Ravenna 1321) of excellent quality, to be included in the series of posthumous portraits that the major Renaissance artists dedicated to the Supreme Poet, attesting to his acclaimed and immortal fame.
Among the earliest representations of Dante, we can mention Giotto's fresco of Paradise from 1332-1337 (Cappella del Podestà Palazzo Bargello, Florence), the portrait of Dante with the Divine Comedy in Domenico di Michelino's fresco from 1465 (Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence), and Sandro Botticelli's portrait of the poet in profile from around 1495 (private collection), now one of the most famous and widespread depictions of the poet.
Returning to our work, we can fully include it in the traditional iconography of his profile, which has contributed to his recognisability to this day: the poet is immortalised with his characteristic red cloak and cap, usually worn by Florentine diplomats, his elongated, angular face with a hooked nose and a laurel wreath, the so-called “poet's crown”.
From a stylistic point of view, in particular, we are inclined to attribute its creation to an artist active in Florence around 1550, trained or active in the prolific workshop of Cristofano di Papi dell'Altissimo (1530-1605), a pupil of Bronzino and then Pontormo, from whom he inherited his passion for portraiture and stylistic approach.
The painter worked for the Medici family and, in particular, created a collection of about 500 portraits of illustrious men for Cosimo I, known as the “Serie gioviana” (Uffizi Gallery, now in the upper part of the Corridoio di levante), which, among others, also included that of our poet.
His fame as a portraitist grew to such an extent that his workshop often produced versions of the same subject, with countless variations. In our beautiful work, for example, Dante is depicted in half-length, with his face and gaze turned to the left, his expression serious but intense, and his facial features immediately reminiscent of early Florentine Mannerist portraiture.
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
