Raphael and the Beautiful Banker: The Story of the Bindo Altoviti
Condition: SECONDHAND
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Five centuries ago a stunningly beautiful young man, heir to a banking fortune, sat for a portrait by Raphael. In the artist's dynamic conception, Bindo Altoviti turns as if to speak to his Florentine bride, Fiammetta. Ardently admired over the years, as it is today, Raphael's portrait was also coolly received by more than one influential critic who cast a shadow on its reputation. This gloriously illustrated book tells the story of the portrait's creation and of its unexpected trajectory through history. Focusing on viewers' responses to Bindo Altoviti, the book describes the transformation of the picture from a family treasure into a supposed self-portrait of the artist; its public display in Munich, where it was first celebrated, then dismissed by sceptics claiming that it was neither of nor by Raphael; and its acquisition by canny English dealers who lured the panel out of Nazi Germany. Purchased as a Raphael by American collector Samuel H. Kress, the painting was donated in 1943 to the newly opened National Gallery of Art, where Bindo's image has beguiled visitors ever since.
Author: David Alan Brown
Format: Hardback, 240 pages, 192mm x 256mm
Published: 2005, Yale University Press, United States
Genre: Individual Artists / Art Monographs
Description
Five centuries ago a stunningly beautiful young man, heir to a banking fortune, sat for a portrait by Raphael. In the artist's dynamic conception, Bindo Altoviti turns as if to speak to his Florentine bride, Fiammetta. Ardently admired over the years, as it is today, Raphael's portrait was also coolly received by more than one influential critic who cast a shadow on its reputation. This gloriously illustrated book tells the story of the portrait's creation and of its unexpected trajectory through history. Focusing on viewers' responses to Bindo Altoviti, the book describes the transformation of the picture from a family treasure into a supposed self-portrait of the artist; its public display in Munich, where it was first celebrated, then dismissed by sceptics claiming that it was neither of nor by Raphael; and its acquisition by canny English dealers who lured the panel out of Nazi Germany. Purchased as a Raphael by American collector Samuel H. Kress, the painting was donated in 1943 to the newly opened National Gallery of Art, where Bindo's image has beguiled visitors ever since.
Raphael and the Beautiful Banker: The Story of the Bindo Altoviti