When it was sold to King Ludwig I of Bavaria (1786-1868) in 1808, this painting by Raphael was believed to be a self-portrait by Raphael. This, too, is what Karl Barth wrote on his print of the painting. And that is probably also what Thorvaldsen believed. However, critical voices soon raised doubt as to whether the painting had anything at all to do with Raphael, voices that were both right and wrong at the same time.
It has since been established that the portrait was certainly painted by Raphael. However, it is not a self-portrait, but a portrait of the still young Florentine banker Bindo Altoviti (1491-1557). The intention with the portrait appears to have been to enable Altoviti’s wife, Fiametta Soderini, to continue to admire her husband at home – at least in the shape of a painting – while he himself was occupied further south with the finances of the Papal State.
Karl Barth trained originally in Stuttgart. When he made this print in 1816, however, he was undergoing training further in Munich and was therefore close to Ludwig I’s art collection.
gemalt von ihm selbst und nach dem Originale in der Königlichen Gallerie zu München gezeichnet und gestuchen von Carl Barth 1816 / Raphael Sanzio da Urbino / Ihre Königlichen Hoheit Therese regierenden Fürstin / von Thurn und Taxis seiner gnädigsten Beschüzerin / in tiefster Ehrfuhcht und Unterthänigkeit gewidmet / gedruckt von F Heuback in Nbg / von Carl Barth
