(Florence active 1552–1605)
Portrait of Sultan Murad II (1404–1451), bust-length,
oil on panel, 64 x 48.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private European collection

The present painting relates to the portrait of Sultan Murad II painted by Cristofano dell’Altissimo for the celebrated ‘series of illustrious men’ commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici, now in the Uffizi, Florence (inv. 1890 no. 3056). The sovereign is depicted in profile, dressed in a white turban and a damask surcoat. The inscription at the top of the panel recalls his victory at Varna on the Black Sea on 10 November 1444. In that battle, the Ottomans, led by Murad II, defeated the Christian army trying to stem their conquest of the Balkans.

The series of illustrious men in the Uffizi is inspired by and partially copied from the famous collection of portraits set up by the physician and philosopher Paolo Giovio in his villa in Borgovico on Lake Como. In June 1552, in fact, Cosimo I sent Cristofano dell’Altissimo to Como with the task of painting a similar series of portraits. The artist stayed there for more than ten years, sending dozens and dozens of works to the Medici court; in 1562 he finally returned to Florence, continuing his work with the help of assistants.

The portraits, all painted on panel and characterised by the same dimensions, vivid colours and explanatory inscriptions in Roman characters, were hung in the Sala del Mappamondo in Palazzo Vecchio, as also recalled by Vasari. The series was popular in the 16th century and Cristofano himself, assisted by other artists such as Iacopo and Francesco Zucchi, Girolamo Massei and Alessandro Allori, partially reproposed it several times to decorate other Medici residences, such as Cardinal Ferdinando’s Roman palace.

This series of portraits includes numerous images of Middle Eastern rulers, including Muhammad II, Suleiman the Magnificent, Djem and Alchitrof. This nucleus of portraits reflects the collection of Paolo Giovio, who was interested in the Islamic world and published his commentary on the Things of the Turks in 1532, dedicated to the Emperor Charles V.