Cristofano dell'Altissimo

Key facts

Lived

1525–1605, Italian^[1]

Movement

• Mannerism

^[1]

Works held in

1 museum

Wikipedia

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• What is Cristofano dell'Altissimo known for?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo is known for producing copies of portraits from Paolo Giovio's collection. He copied at least 280 portraits of historical figures for Giovio, and his copies are now the sole visual record for many originals that were later destroyed or dispersed.
• What is Cristofano dell'Altissimo's most famous work?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo (1525^[1]-1605^[1]) is best known for his portrait collection. He was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici during the mid-16th century to create a series of portraits of famous historical figures. These portraits were intended for display in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Cristofano based many of his paintings on earlier images collected by the antiquarian Paolo Giovio. Giovio had gathered likenesses for his museum on Lake Como. Cristofano's series eventually comprised hundreds of paintings. They depict rulers, scholars, artists, and other prominent individuals, spanning different eras and regions. While not all the portraits are by Cristofano himself, the collection as a whole represents his most significant contribution to art history. It offers a visual record of figures who shaped European history and culture.
• What should I know about Cristofano dell'Altissimo's prints?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo (1525^[1]-1605^[1]) was an Italian^[1] painter, but he was also part of a larger trend. During the 15th and 16th centuries, printmaking became increasingly popular among European artists, because prints could be sold at lower prices than paintings or sculptures, thus reaching a wider audience. The portability afforded by paper, along with the ability to produce numerous impressions from a single surface, further added to the appeal of printmaking. Two common printmaking methods were used: relief and intaglio. Relief prints involve removing parts of the material, making it challenging to create thin lines. Intaglio, on the other hand, is a positive process where the artist cuts lines on a metal plate using a tool (engraving) or acid (etching). Ink is then applied to the plate, forced into the incisions, and transferred to paper using a roller press. Intaglio prints generally exhibit a wider range of linear effects and reveal the artist's touch through variations in pressure and direction.
• What style or movement did Cristofano dell'Altissimo belong to?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo is generally associated with Mannerism^[1], a style that emerged in Italy during the 16th century. Mannerism, also called Late Renaissance, arose from the High Renaissance, lasting roughly from 1520 to 1580^[1]. The term "Mannerism" derives from the Italian^[1] "maniera", meaning style or manner; in the 16th century, this implied elegance. Mannerist painting is often characterised by self-consciously sophisticated and exaggerated elegance. Other features include complex compositions, sharp colour combinations, and technical skill. Mannerist artists sometimes employed distortions, elastic elongation of limbs, and heads rendered as uniformly small and oval. Mannerism moved toward a more individual, intellectual, and expressive approach. The ideas of the movement spread across Italy and northern Europe.
• What techniques or materials did Cristofano dell'Altissimo use?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo (1525^[1]-1605^[1]) was a painter from Florence, known almost exclusively for his portrait work. He is best known for a series of paintings of historical figures, specifically a commission of likenesses for Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence. Cristofano's Medici commission aimed to create a gallery of portraits of famous men. These were initially intended for the Palazzo Vecchio, but the collection was later moved to the Uffizi Gallery. He began work on this project in 1552^[1], and continued until Cosimo's death in 1574. The commission was then continued by Cosimo's successor, Francesco I. For these portraits, Cristofano often copied from existing images, such as earlier paintings or prints. These source images were sometimes of poor quality. The portraits are painted in oil on panel. Cristofano travelled extensively in search of images to copy. For example, to paint Paolo Giovio's portrait, Cristofano travelled to Como to copy the likeness from life. He also visited Bologna, Rome, and Naples in his search for suitable source material.
• What was Cristofano dell'Altissimo known for?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo, an Italian^[1] painter of the 16th century, is remembered for his portrait collection. He was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici to create a series of portraits of famous historical figures. Between 1552^[1] and 1568, Cristofano dedicated himself to this project. The collection was intended for display in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Cristofano based his paintings on earlier portraits gathered by the antiquarian Paolo Giovio. Giovio had assembled a collection of images of noted individuals for his museum on Lake Como. Cristofano's work thus involved copying and adapting existing likenesses, rather than painting from life. The Medici collection eventually comprised hundreds of portraits. It included rulers, popes, military leaders, and intellectuals. Cristofano's contribution provides a visual record of figures considered important during the Renaissance.
• When did Cristofano dell'Altissimo live and work?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo was born in Florence around 1525^[1] and died there in 1605^[1]. He is known for his work creating a gallery of portraits of famous men. Altissimo was a student of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, and he later worked for Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. From 1552^[1] onwards, he was employed almost continuously in copying existing portraits for the collection of Cosimo I. These portraits formed a collection intended to decorate a room in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Altissimo was tasked with travelling to various locations to copy portraits from life or other artworks. He copied portraits of illustrious men from different eras and regions. The collection eventually comprised hundreds of images, becoming a significant visual resource of historical figures. Altissimo's activity provides insight into the Medici's patronage of the arts and their interest in collecting and displaying images of notable individuals. His work contributes to the understanding of portraiture and the construction of historical narratives in the 16th century.
• Where can I see Cristofano dell'Altissimo's work?+

  To view works by Cristofano dell'Altissimo, you can visit several museums and galleries. These include the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, which houses a wide array of Italian^[1] Renaissance art. In the United States, the Fogg Art Museum (Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts) and the Art Institute of Chicago hold relevant works. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also has pieces available for viewing. Other locations include the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. These institutions may hold drawings or paintings attributed to the artist. When planning a visit, it is advisable to check the specific works on display, as museum collections can change. Some works may be in storage or on loan to other institutions. Checking online catalogues is recommended before travelling.
• Where was Cristofano dell'Altissimo from?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo was born in Florence, Italy, in 1525^[1]. He is best known for his portrait collection of historical figures. These portraits were commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence (later Grand Duke of Tuscany). Cristofano's father was a craftsman. Cristofano likely received early artistic training in Florence. He spent much of his career working for the Medici court. His primary task involved copying existing portraits, rather than painting from life. The collection was intended to represent famous men of letters and military leaders. The portraits are now held in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Cristofano's work provides valuable visual records of earlier images, even if their accuracy is sometimes debated. He died in Florence in 1605^[1], having spent most of his life in his native city. His contribution lies mainly in preserving and transmitting the likenesses of historical figures for posterity.
• Who did Cristofano dell'Altissimo influence?+

  The provided texts do not contain information about Cristofano dell'Altissimo or his influence on other artists. Instead, the passages discuss the influence of artists such as Sebastiano del Piombo and Caravaggio. Sebastiano's altarpiece in San Giovanni Crisostomo, Venice, influenced the history of painted altarpieces in Venice. Before him, Venetian painters placed central figures at right angles to the viewer. Sebastiano changed this configuration. Caravaggio influenced Dutch, French, and Spanish artists, including Hendrick ter Brugghen, Gerrit van Honthorst, Rembrandt van Rijn, Simon Vouet, and Diego Velázquez. His paintings' ambiguities and antinomies influenced the conception of modernity. Art historian Roberto Longhi brought Caravaggio to public attention and raised his critical fortune among twentieth-century scholars.
• Who influenced Cristofano dell'Altissimo?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo was subject to many influences. Titian's painting of Saint Christopher in the Palazzo Ducale shares and updates medieval iconography. The mosaicist Giuseppe Paulutti created another Saint Christopher of 1678, on the exterior of the Basilica, on the “Capitello dell’Annunciata” facing the Piazzetta, which owes a debt to Titian in typology and style. Titian seems to have painted Saint Christopher in a spirit of artistic emulation and rivalry with Pordenone, as affirmed also by documents. Later Venetian artists appreciated Titian's technique. Sebastiano's altarpiece for the high altar of the small church of San Giovanni Crisostomo, probably created just before he left for Rome in 1515, had considerable influence on the painted altarpiece in Venice. The traditional configuration of altarpieces in the work of Giovanni Bellini, and the entire school of Venetian painters before him, placed the central figures at right angles to the onlooker.
• Who was Cristofano dell'Altissimo?+

  Cristofano dell'Altissimo was a Florentine painter active in the 16th century. He trained under Pontormo and Bronzino in Florence before being tasked by Cosimo I de' Medici to copy portraits for Paolo Giovio's collection.