Lot 182 | Arte Islamica A rare Timur’s portrait After Cristofano dell'Altissimo (Florence 1525-1605)17th century Oil on canvas .

Capitolium Art - Via Carlo Cattaneo 55, 25121 Brescia

Arte Islamica A rare Timur’s portrait After Cristofano dell'Altissimo (Florence 1525-1605)17th century Oil on canvas .

Islamic Art A rare Timur’s portrait After Cristofano dell'Altissimo (Florence 1525-1605)17th century Oil on canvas . . Cm 54,00 x 76,00. Portrait of the well-known ruler and progenitor of the Timurid dynasty, pictured with a white pointed hat, a sumptuous vest and a bow and arrow on his left shoulder. The inscription in Italian reads "Tamerlano. Tartaro". the first being the Italian name for Timur and the latter a manner to identify the Mongols. The original subject of this painting was made by Cristofano dell’Altissimo and it is part of the Giovio collection started in 1552 by order of Cosimo I de’ Medici, who charged the painter Cristofano dell’Altissimo with copying the portraits of the Galleria Universale degli Uomini of Paolo Giovo, bishop of Como, held in his villa in Borgovico. Cristofano dell'Altissimo painted at least 280 portraits, among these Sultans and Eastern important people are the rarest. During the centuries, paintings such as this have been copied and used also as diplomatic gifts.We know at least two series including Sultans and eastern people portraits: one at the Topkapi Palace of Instanbul, constituted by the portraits shipped from Venice in 1779, and another composed of 14 portraits painted by Veronese in the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen of Munich.Provenance: Private Collection Milan, Italy.