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Alchitrof
''Alchitrof'' is the name of a 1568 painting by Cristofano dell'Altissimo that depicts an ''Aethiopian'' king. Background 16th century Italian historian and biographer Paolo Giovio (1483–1552) assembled a series of 484 portraits, known as the Giovio Series. These portraits included, but were not limited to, rulers, statesmen and literary figures. Much of the original collection is now lost, but it is preserved in a series of at least 280 copies made by the Italian painter Cristofano dell'Altissimo (c. 1525–1605). From the surviving copies by Cristifano, two portraits are of Ethiopian monarchs. The first of these was of Emperor Lebna Dengel (r. 1508–1540) while the other was of a king named "Alchitrof". Historicity Alchitrof is not named in any Ethiopian regnal lists. The portrait of Alchitrof includes a feathered headdress and three rings on his lower lip, features which do not match with what is known about Ethiopian custom and culture during the period when the portrait ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giovio Series
The Giovio Series, also known as the Giovio Collection or Giovio Portraits, is a series of 484 portraits assembled by the 16th-century Italian Renaissance historian and biographer Paolo Giovio. It includes portraits of literary figures, rulers, statesmen and other dignitaries, many of which were done from life. Intended by Giovio as a public archive of famous men, the collection was originally housed in a specially-built museum on the shore of Lake Como. Although the original collection has not survived intact, a set of copies made for Cosimo I de' Medici now has a permanent home in Florence's Uffizi Gallery. Origins and history Giovio first began collecting portraits around 1512, soon after leaving his hometown of Como to pursue his career in Rome. Initially focused on men of letters, the collection grew to include military figures, kings, popes, artists and even a few renowned women. The series included illustrious men of ages past alongside those of his own day. Giovio inten ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
