Portrait of the Sculptor Alessandro Vittoria

The collectors’ growing appreciation of artistic virtuosity and inventiveness in the 16th century helped raise the prestige of artists. Self-assured, the latter begin to present themselves: a sculptor executing a bust of a fellow painter depicts him in the style of a Renaissance prince, while the painter repays the compliment by portraying the sculptor in elegant robes without a trace of the latter’s dusty work. The clay model in his hand hints at the creative effort of composing a sculpture.