Portrait of Pietro Mellini

Benedetto da Maiano was very well-known for his talents as a portraitist. This bust is a striking proof: the expression conveyed by the rippled forehead and the tight lips is as various and diverse as reality. A sense of skepticism and vigilence are shown to the spectator. However realist this bust may seem, one must bear in mind that a certain idealization is at work too: evident references to Roman portraiture such as the posing of the model enable the bust to stand between naturalism and idealization.