Annotated Bibliography - Bindo Altoviti

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"Bindo Altoviti." National Gallery of Art. 2008. 03 Feb. 2009 .

This is an article solely dedicated portrait of Bindo Altoviti painted by Rafael in 1515. What I learned from it holds true to many of the observations I made in my initial analysis (awesome). Altoviti is a wealthy young banker no older than twenty five. He has never worked a day of physical labor in his life and his wealth has afforded him clean hair and elegant clothing. The gaze and posture of the subject are typical of Renaissance art. Falling in love was done through the eyes and as the author of this piece suggested, could be gazing at his with whom he married in 1511. It seems that I have mistaken a gaze of lust and seductiveness with a gaze of sleepiness. In my interpretation I thought he looked tired or like he was longing for something he couldn't have. Maybe I mistake lust with exhaustion all the time, which would explain my women problems. But that is another story.

"RAFFAELLO." Web Gallery of Art, image collection, virtual museum, searchable database of European fine art. 03 Feb. 2009 .

This source is a biography of Rafael’s career. His first know paintings are from 1500 which means that my portrait of Bindo Altoviti would be at least fifteen years into Rafael’s career and be painted in his mature style. While this work was commissioned Rafael was in Rome and at the same time painting works of art for the Vatican. This source is helpful because it provides me with a bit of insight into one of the questions that I added to the question sheet. Which is “why did the painter paint this?” I now know that Rafael painted this because of money. Rafael was commissioned for this portrait because of his fame as an artist, and Bindo Altoviti as a wealthy man must have wanted nothing but the best for his portrait. As well, my guess is that Rafael painted this portrait pretty well in line with the style of the times and his previous work to appease his customer. The gaze that Altoviti has I learned is typical of that of portraits of the times.

"Raphael, Cellini, and a Renaissance Banker. The Patronage of Bindo Altoviti * Raphael and the Beautiful Banker. The Story of the Bindo Altoviti Portrait * Gondola Days: Isabella Stewart Gardner and the Palazzo Barbaro Circle -- Henry 18 (1): 89 -- Journal of the History of Collections." Oxford Journals. 2006. Oxford University Press. 02 Feb. 2009 .

This article is actually three book reviews published in an Oxford University Journal about three newly published books on Rafael’s portrait of Bindo Altoviti. As it turns out, the portrait has a very rich history and has recently as 2006 has been subject to debate in scholarly circles. I found it interesting that in WWII the portrait was stolen from its owner and swapped with a mediocre fake. The scholarly debate occurring is in relation to Altoviti’s age at the painting of the portrait. Some believe that it was painted around 1518 and others think it coincides with his wedding in 1511. Though this review doesn’t delve into the arguments used in the books, it does mention that scholars have investigated Altoviti’s banking and financial records to see if he could even afford the painting in 1511 or 1518. I think it would be interesting to read up on this if I have time. What I took away from this article is that Rafael’s paintings are still relevant today not only in the art community but in the scholarly community.