Why it matters
Raphael painted his close friend Castiglione, the diplomat and humanist seen as the quintessential Renaissance gentleman. Considered one of the great portraits of the Renaissance, it has had an enduring influence.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1514–1515.
- Castiglione wrote a poem imagining his wife and son consoling themselves with the portrait while he was away in Rome.
- 17th-century copies show his hands in full, suggesting the canvas was later cut at the bottom.
- Castiglione may have been the model for Zoroaster in The School of Athens.
Based on the Wikipedia article Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione (CC BY-SA 4.0).
