Artwork
Portraits of five artists, Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Brunelleschi
Portraits of five artists, Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Brunelleschi is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Francesco Salviati. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Their inclusion celebrates their enduring influence on art and architecture, symbolising the continuity of artistic genius across generations.
The painting presents a group of five Renaissance masters, Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Brunelleschi, arranged as a collective portrait rather than individual likenesses. Their inclusion celebrates their enduring influence on art and architecture, symbolising the continuity of artistic genius across generations. The work functions as both a tribute and a visual statement of the intellectual and creative ideals of the Renaissance, highlighting the subjects' status as foundational figures in Western artistic tradition.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 23.5 cm in height by 70.1 cm in width. It depicts five Renaissance figures, Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Brunelleschi, rendered as a group of human subjects. The composition presents each artist in a distinct pose, emphasizing individuality while maintaining a cohesive visual rhythm across the five portraits.
Stylistically, the piece draws on High Renaissance conventions, employing precise draftsmanship and a restrained palette to convey the intellectual stature of the sitters. The handling of light and shadow accentuates the three‑dimensional presence of each figure, contributing to a formal balance that reflects the period’s interest in idealized representation.
History & Provenance
The painting, executed in oil on canvas by Francesco Salviati, is a group portrait depicting Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Filippo Brunelleschi. It measures 23.5 cm in height by 70.1 cm in width.
The work entered the Fitzwilliam Museum's collection as a gift from the Trustees of Dr Ludwig Mond in 1926, where it was assigned accession number 1162.
The painting is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum. It entered the institution in 1926 as a gift from the Trustees of Dr Ludwig Mond and is registered under the accession number 1162. The work, executed in oil on canvas, measures 23.5 by 70.1 cm.
Overview
Francesco Salviati’s oil painting, created around 1560, presents five eminent figures of the Italian Renaissance, Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Brunelleschi, arranged in a vertical grouping. Each portrait is rendered in a close, frontal view against a stone‑like backdrop accented with gold and Latin inscriptions. The composition emphasizes their individual features while linking them as a lineage of artistic achievement.
Context
The painting reflects a broader trend in the late Renaissance of commemorating artistic ancestors, a practice encouraged by humanist scholars and courtly patrons. By selecting figures spanning from Giotto’s early innovations to Michelangelo’s mature genius, Salviati situates himself within a celebrated continuum of creative excellence.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Salviati or Francesco de' Rossi (1510 – 11 November 1563) was an Italian Mannerist painter who lived and worked in Florence, with periods in Bologna and Venice, ending with a long period in Rome, where he died.
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