Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione

The Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione painted by Raphael between 1514 and 1515 depicts one of his friends, the writer and diplomat Baldassare Castiglione.

The portrait of a friend
Raphael and Castiglione were longtime friends. Indeed, Raphael was born in Urbino, and Castiglione was the ambassador of the Duke of Urbino. They met again in Rome in 1513, after the death of Pope Julius II.

As a matter of fact, Raphael had been in Rome since 1508, in the service of the Papacy, while Castiglione was sent to Rome by the Duke of Urbino to be the ambassador after the Pope. The friendship of the two men was based on their common conception of the ideal of beauty and harmony.

The faithfulness of the portrait to reality, the depth of the gaze and the natural pose of the diplomat give this official portrait an intimate dimension, revealing the closeness of the two men.

The embodiment of a gentleman
Castiglione is best known for being the author of the Book of the Courtesan, published in 1528, in which he portrays the ideal courtly man reflected in this portrait. Here, Castiglione's portrait is simple, almost austere, yet refined.

The simplicity of the work is due to the reduced chromatic palette: his clothes are black, white and grey, while the background is beige. Only the blue of his eyes stands out and attracts the viewer's attention.

The tight framing at the top of the bust, as well as the alignment of the edges of his beret on the diagonals, allow the viewer's gaze to focus on Castiglione's face.

His elegant clothes also reveal his refinement and simplicity: he wears a turban with a cut-edged beret, and is dressed in fur covering his white shirt and his purse.

The calm and impassive nature of the model, whose gaze is nevertheless expressive, and the posture of his hands indicate the restrained attitude of a gentleman.

Did you notice a similarity with another famous portrait? To find out more, listen to the tour!