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Antique Venetian Renaissance Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan 1401-1465 Oil on Canvas

$80,000
£60,470.09
€69,490.89
CA$111,399.50
A$123,927.39
CHF 64,964.29
MX$1,514,362.42
NOK 827,239.18
SEK 778,731.24
DKK 518,723.04
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About the Item

Ludovico Trevisan (November 1401 Venice, Italy - 22nd of March 1465) was an Italian Catholic prelate, who was the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Patriarch of Aquileia and Captain General of the Church. Cardinal Trevisan was a rich, powerful, and cultured figure who proved his military prowess in the Battle of Anghiari on June 29, 1440, between Milan and the Italian League, where he lead the papal troupes. He became cardinal in the same year. He was famous for his fortune, luxury and splendor and considered to be the richest man in the world in his time. He left his wealth to the Church, his works and his nephews. This painting is magnificent and extremely rare. The cardinal is painted in form of a Roman Empire bust with deep red royal colors. The Latin language inscription translated to English as “ Cardinal Ludovico of Rome,-the gracious and powerful leader for its people” This portrait of Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan, attributed to the circle of Andrea Mantegna, bears strong stylistic and compositional similarities to a comparable painting held in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Gemäldegalerie). The Berlin version, widely studied, also portrays Trevisan in bust form, adorned in red cardinal robes, with a classical architectural framing. However, this version distinguishes itself by the inclusion of a Roman-style helmet positioned subtly in the background- likely resting on a pedestal or parapet behind the cardinal's left shoulder. The Roman helmet, rendered in dark metallic tones with reflective detailing, may symbolize: Trevisan’s role as Captain General of the Church, connecting him with martial leadership; his association with Roman virtue and imperial authority, consistent with humanist ideals of the time; a visual allegory of the cardinal's dual authority- spiritual and military. This helmet, absent in the Berlin version, suggests that this portrait may have been created for a different audience or patron- perhaps one wishing to emphasize Trevisan’s military triumphs, such as his victory at the Battle of Anghiari (1440). It also further strengthens the link to Mantegna’s workshop, which often employed Roman motifs and symbolic props in its portraiture. The integration of the helmet into the composition reinforces the painting’s role as both a celebratory and political image, intended to memorialize Trevisan as not only a churchman but a warrior-statesman. The painting is oil on canvas and has been attached to the wooden board to preserve it due to the canvas age. References: Lightbown, R. (1986). Mantegna: With a Complete Catalogue of the Paintings, Drawings, and Prints. University of California Press. - Key reference for comparison with Mantegna’s portrait style, especially bust-format ecclesiastical works. - Goffen, R. (1997). Renaissance Rivals: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Titian. Yale University Press. - Provides broader cultural context for portraiture and Renaissance ideals. Niehoff, F. (ed.) (2006). Um Leinberger: Schüler und Zeitgenossen, Exhibition Catalog, Spitalkirche Heiliggeist, Landshut. - Overview of social roles and public images of Renaissance elites like Trevisan. Kaufmann, Thomas DaCosta. Court, Cloister, and City: The Art and Culture of Central Europe, 1450–1800. University of Chicago Press, 1995.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 35.44 in (90 cm)Width: 29.14 in (74 cm)Depth: 3.15 in (8 cm)
  • Style:
    Renaissance (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Ca 1459-1460
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Doha, QA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU7451242439592

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