Portrait Bust of a Man
Date16th Century
MediumTerracotta with traces of paint
Dimensions24 1/4 in. (61.6 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN5388
Portrait busts of both men and women were important adornments in the Renaissance camera. Busts could portray the house's living inhabitants or commemorate deceased ancestors. They were typically installed over doorways. From this lofty vantage point, they cast a protective gaze over the entire room. They were also a constant reminder of one's familial role and dynastic obligation: the production of children. After all, it was in the camera that conception took place. According to an inscription on the base of the bust on the left, the sitter is meant to be Francesco Guicciardini, a prominent Florentine politician and historian who lived between 1483 and 1540. His principal achievement was the Storia d'Italia, a comprehensive history of Florentine political life between 1492 and 1534.
On View
On viewLocation
- Museum of Art, Gallery 05
circa 1840
18th century
