1515; Oil painting on canvas, by the Italian High Renaissance artist , Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino . The Portrait of Baldassarre Castiglione, a literary figure active at the court of Urbino in the early years of the 16th century, may or may not have been painted by Raphael. Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione, c.1514/16 Raffaello Sanzio Raphael (1483-1520) Location: Louvre Museum Paris France Original Size: 82 x 67 cm The mutual affinity is perfectly expressed in Raphael's astonishingly simple and natural portrait, painted in total accordance with the intentions of its model. Considered one of the great portraits of the Renaissance, it has an enduring influence. By contrast, in The Book of the Courtier, Castiglione argues for the civilizing process of human beings. Raphael's Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione was a part of King Louis XIV's collection (date of purchase unknown) and has been a treasure of the Louvre's permanent collection, only being moved once in its nearly 500 year history.It was on display at Atlanta's High Museum of Art as part of its 'Kings as Collectors' series from October 14, 2006 through to January 28, 2007. Composition: The Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione is yet another example of the perfect balance Raphael achieved during his career in Rome. It depicts Raphael's friend, the diplomat and humanist Baldassare Castiglione, who is considered a quintessential example of the High Renaissance gentleman. He popularized the term sprezzatura, which translates roughly to "nonchalant mastery", an ideal of effortless grace befitting a man of culture. It would be court life in Urbino, at the time the most refined and elegant of the Italian courts, that would provide the intellectual atmosphere that would help him frame his ideals outlined in the Courtier. Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione is a c. 1514–1515 oil painting attributed to the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael.Considered one of the great portraits of the Renaissance, it has an enduring influence. Castiglione’s best-known work is The Courtier (books 1–4, 1528), a treatise in dialogue form. Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione. The attire indicates that this was painted during the winter, likely that of 1514–1515, when Castiglione was in Rome by appointment of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro to Pope Leo X. If Castiglione's Book of the Courtier described the qualities expected of an ideal gentleman in the High Renaissance, Raphael's portrait exemplified them in art.Castiglione was a friend of Raphael, who represented him with the riposo or inner calm that the author had deemed essential for gentlemen. Up to 90% off Textbooks at Amazon Canada. This term was coined by Baldassare Castiglione in his Book of the Courtier, a guidebook to aristocratic behavior written between 1508 and 1528.The Mona Lisa's calm assurance and the ease with which she seems to confront the viewer express Castiglione's requirement that one's behavior in public should seem effortless and natural, even in difficult social situations. This winter dress (and dark clothes) suggests that the portrait was painted during the winter of 1514-1515 when Castiglione, appointed by the Duke of Urbino to Pope Leo X, was in Rome.Use of light: The rather dull harmony of Castiglione's outfit, limited to shades of black, gray and white, is extended in the painting's background of a light and warm gray-beige tone, submersed in diffused light into which his shadow gently fades on the right.Use of technique: Raphael's Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione is shown in three-quarter profile from the waist up, seated in an armchair with his hands folded and his gaze fixed on the viewer. Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione may have had a practical and intimate purpose. The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione is a c. 1514–1515 oil painting attributed to the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael. After receiving a classical education in Mantua and in Milan, he served at the court of the Milanese duke Lodovico Sforza from 1496 to 1499. Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino an Italian painter and architect. Michelangelo and Raphael Drawings. Abbeville Press Inc. , 2003 • Jones, R. Raphael. The concept eventually found its way into English literature, in the plays of Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare. Find art you love and shop high-quality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at Art.com. Oil on canvas, 82 x 67 cm. Rembrandt self-portrait makes it feel as if it is cropped and you are right there with him. In 1869, the engraver, who made a number of prints after the Italian Renaissance artist, solicited a commission from the Chalcographie du Louvre to create this work. It was in part due to this friendship (and a wish to convey it) that Raphael painted the famous Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione.After the completed portrait, Castiglione returned back to Mantua where he married Ippolita Torelli, a descendant of another noble family. During the Middle Ages the perfect gentleman was a chivalrous knight, distinguished by his abilities on the battlefield. Raphael: Cartoons and Tapestries for the Sistine Chapel. Thus Castiglione played a large role in defining the Renaissance Man before his death (caused by Black Death) on February 2, 1529.