19th Century Master Oil on Panel Portrait of Brunetto Latini After Cristofano Dell' altissimo
Our client's 19th (possibly 18th) century oil on wooden panel is a masterful copy of the original painting of Brunetto Latini (1220-1295) by the Italian painter, Dell' altissimo Cristofano (1525-1605) completed in 1589 and residing today in the collection of the Uffizi.. 9 1/4 by 11 3/4 by 1/2 inches. Front is apparently unsigned and on verso it reads in ink or paint, "Sr Brunetto Latini...Maestro di dante Alighieri".
In good condition, with scratches, nicks, small losses and signed of inpainting.
The artist is known primarily for his commission from Cosimo I de' Medici begun in 1552 in Como which entailed the copying of the portraits of important Italian figures acquired over a thirty year period by Paolo Giovio (1483-1552). He went on to paint at least 280 portraits from the collection, most of which are held by the Uffizi.
In 1761 the portrait was copied by Giuliano Trabellesi (1727-1812) and engraved by Giuseppe Allegrini (1729-1773+) for publication in Serie di ritratti d'oumini illutri toscani, published in Firenze 1766-1773).
Brunetto Latini was an influential philosopher, scholar, politician and statesman. He is known for Tesoretto (in Italian) his prose Li Livres dou Trésor (in French), both summaries of his encyclopaedic knowledge with the latter regarded as the first encyclopedia in a modern European language. He was guardian and teacher to Dante following the death of his father, and was immortalized by him in the Divine Comedy.
