Artwork
Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci
Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Cristofano dell'Altissimo. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
About this work
Overview
This oil painting, created in 1560, is a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci attributed to Cristofano dell'Altissimo, a Florentine painter. It is part of a collection at the Uffizi Gallery.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts an older man with long, curly white hair and a beard, wearing a brown robe. His gaze is directed to the left, and the black background emphasizes his hair and beard.
Technique & Style
The artist employed chiaroscuro to create depth and volume, particularly in the subject's hair and beard, which are the painting's focal points. The rest of the face and body fade into the background, characteristic of the early Baroque Italian style.
History & Provenance
The painting was created as part of a series reproducing Paolo Giovio's portrait collection for Cosimo I de’ Medici. Many of dell'Altissimo's copies from this series are housed in the Uffizi Gallery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cristofano dell'Altissimo (c. 1525 – 1605) was an Italian painter in Florence. For duke Cosimo I de' Medici he copied in Como at least 280 of the portraits from the Collection of Paolo Giovio known as the Giovio Series…
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