Self Portrait

The artist chose to represent himself, in profile, all'antica - in the manner of the Romans. Such choice is very common during the Renaissance, for many artists seek to imitate the ancient art from the Greeks and Romans, thanks to the classical texts and artefacts that are gradually being discovered. It is also interesting to highlight the fact that the inscription beneath the self portrait qualifies him as a Florentine citizen. In 1556, when this relief was made, Florence was an autonomous city since the 12th century, and under the reign of the Medici family, exerted its political and financial influence over much of central Italy.艺术家选择以侧面肖像的形式，采用古典仿古风格（all'antica）——即遵循古罗马的创作范式来塑造自我形象。这一创作选择在文艺复兴时期颇为常见：得益于陆续被发掘的古典文献与实物遗存，彼时诸多艺术家都致力于效仿古希腊与古罗马的古典艺术。此外，值得留意的是，这幅自画像下方的铭文将其身份界定为佛罗伦萨市民。该浮雕创作于1556年，此时佛罗伦萨自12世纪起便已是自治城邦，且在美第奇家族（Medici）的统治下，其政治与金融影响力辐射意大利中部大片区域。