Grand Tour Renaissance Portrait after Castello Nativity Master

In the 19th century, the "Grand Tour" was the ultimate pursuit of the soul’s refinement. For the European aristocrat and the intellectual elite, returning from Italy with a "souvenir" was not only about travel—it was about bringing the Enlightenment home. This exquisite chromolithograph, a vibrant 19th-century reproduction of a Renaissance portrait after the enigmatic Master of the Castello Nativity, represents that intersection of historic reverence and Victorian craftsmanship.

The subject—a young woman of the Florentine Quattrocento—is captured with the characteristic serenity and architectural precision of the Early Renaissance. Her profile, framed by the meticulous gold and jewel-toned pigments of the chromolithographic process, evokes the spirit of 1450s Tuscany. The depth of the coloration suggests a dedication to the original tempera and gold leaf techniques, preserved through a 19th-century lens.

Housed in a refined, period-correct frame, this piece functions as a "sculptural anchor" for a room. It is a dialogue between two eras: the burgeoning humanism of the 15th century and the archival passion of the 19th. For the discerning interior designer or the cultural collector, this work is a testament to the Lineage of the Room, offering a sense of settled purpose and Old World intellectualism to any modern gallery or private study.

Specifications:

Origin: Italy

Period: 19th Century (Original artwork ca. 1450s)

Style: Renaissance Revival / Grand Tour

Material: Chromolithograph on paper; period giltwood and colored frame

Dimensions: 18.5”H x 13.5”W x 1.5”D (frame)

Condition: Antique condition. The print retains remarkable color saturation. The frame shows an honest patina and minor age-appropriate wear that reinforces its authentic 19th-century provenance.

Delivery: Complimentary shipping within the USA is included in price.

Historian’s Note:

The Master of the Castello Nativity remains one of the most intriguing "shadow figures" of the Florentine Renaissance. Associated with the workshop of Fra Filippo Lippi, this anonymous master’s identity is defined by a singular masterpiece—a Nativity formerly housed in the Medici Villa at Castello. During the 19th century, as art history was becoming a formal discipline, Grand Tourists became obsessed with these "anonymous masters." Acquiring a chromolithograph like this allowed a collector to participate in the "discovery" of the Renaissance. It represents a time when the technical innovation of color printing (chromolithography) was used to democratize the beauty of the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace for the world’s most sophisticated homes.

The print stands as a faithful reproduction of a significant panel painting, whose original, preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. 49.7.6), has suffered losses to the details here preserved in this print. The anonymous Castello Nativity Master, has more recently been identified by scholars as Piero di Lorenzo di Pratese.