THE ALLEGORICAL PORTRAIT IN THE 16TH-CENTURY ITALIAN PAINTING: GENESIS, MEANINGS AND FUNCTIONS

Italian portraiture of the 16th century has historically been the subject of detailed and thoughtful study. Nevertheless, there remain some “gaps”: identification of models, definition of its function and allocation of types of Renaissance portraiture are still actively implemented in the current research. This paper discusses a special typology of Renaissance portraiture, in which the model is given in the guise of characters from ancient history, mythology and the Bible. Such portraits are found in the oeuvre of masters throughout Italy — Agnolo Bronzino, Domenico Puligo, Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo, Sebastiano del Piombo and others. Italian 16th century painting is full of such portraits, but the genesis and functions of these phenomena are not fully defined and are currently the subject of close attention of scholars. This paper analyzes presently known allegorical portraits in which the models are clearly identified, and the program and circumstances of the commission are clear. The range of sources, both literary and visual, that influenced the formation and circulation of the allegorical portrait are also identified. A special consideration is given to Ludovico Dolce’s treatise “Dialogo della pittura” and Liburnio’s dialogues “Le selvette”; both of which unravel the intricate interplay between the categories of “ideal” and “real” within the context of Renaissance portraiture. The identification of the genesis, alongside a close reading of the sources, made it possible to reconstruct the probable meanings and functions of this sub-genre of Renaissance portraiture. Special attention is paid to the complexities surrounding female allegorical portraits, in which the identification of models, as well as the reconstruction of functions and circumstances, continue to pose significant challenges.