Profile Portrait of Cardinal Philippe de Lévis

This well preserved portrait is a rare example of portraiture in Antoniazzo’s oeuvre. It once formed part of a triptych depicting the so-called Madonna di San Luca, with the wings comprising images of Sts Peter and Paul, along with this portrait and the sitter’s coat of arms. This triptych was dismembered and separated prior to 1923, and the present panel is all that is extant.

The Madonna di San Luca was one of the most venerated images of the Virgin in Rome. It was said to have been painted by Saint Luke himself; actually, it appears to have been painted in the 11th century.