Raphael and the Beautiful Banker : The Story of the Bindo Altoviti Portrait

by David Brown and Jane Van Nimmen

• ISBN13: 9780300108248
• ISBN10: 0300108249
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2005-10-11
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

Five centuries ago a stunningly beautiful young man with flowing blond locks 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 first it was celebrated, then dismissed by skeptics 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 Biography

David Alan Brown is Curator of Italian Paintings at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. viii
Introduction	p. 1
The Beautiful Banker	p. 9
Raphael's Face Value	p. 31
The Bavarian Buyers	p. 47
Facing the Public	p. 63
Manna from Heaven: The Case of Ingres	p. 85
Whose Face? The Search for Authenticity	p. 107
Trading Places	p. 133
Lasting Impressions	p. 157
The Cast of Chapter 7	p. 174
Owners of the Portrait	p. 179
Notes	p. 180
References	p. 230
Photograph Credits	p. 247
Index	p. 249
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