Raphael and the Beautiful Banker: The Story of the Bindo Altoviti Portrait Tapa dura - 2005

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Five centuries ago a stunningly beautiful young man with flowing blond locks sat for a portrait by Raphael. In the artist s dynamic conception, Bindo Altoviti turns as if to speak to his Florentine bride, Fiammetta. Ardently admired over the years, as it is today, Raphael s portrait was also coolly received by more than one influential critic who cast a shadow on its reputation. This gloriously illustrated book tells the story of the portrait s creation and of its unexpected trajectory through history.
Focusing on viewers responses to Bindo Altoviti, the book describes the transformation of the picture from a family treasure into a supposed self-portrait of the artist; its public display in Munich, where first it was celebrated, then dismissed by skeptics claiming that it was neither of nor by Raphael; and its acquisition by canny English dealers who lured the panel out of Nazi Germany. Purchased as a Raphael by American collector Samuel H. Kress, the painting was donated in 1943 to the newly opened National Gallery of Art, where Bindo s image has beguiled visitors ever since."

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