Portrait of Ottaviano Grimani

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Alessandro Vittoria, a renowned Venetian sculptor of the late XVI century, arrives in Venice and begins working at Sansovino's workshop in 1543. A highly skilled portrait painter and sculptor, Vittoria popularizes a new type of pedestal-mounted portrait bust (typically, half-figured Renaissance images lacked this feature). Ottavio Grimani is depicted wearing modern attire, topped by an ancient Roman-inspired cloak that lends nobility to the image. The pedestal beneath his bust serves as a public declaration of his position or creates a counterbalance to his father's bust in the family chapel at San Sebastiano's church. Vittoria's art boasts extraordinary realism. Ottaviano Grimani's noble introspection and sensual contrast, evident in his mouth and gaze, convey an impression that he appears to be breathing or speaking.