Portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli (Crespi Castoldi)

What it is

This is a painting of Machiavelli by Antonio Maria Crespi Castoldi, dated in the first half of the seventeenth century. It is a profile portrait of a man in a dark beret and red-orange robe, facing left against a dark background. The painted inscription across the top reads MACHIAVELLO HISTORICO. The painting was made long after Machiavelli's death, and the record notes that his clothing was imagined for the period.

Why it matters

Painters who portrayed figures from the past often had no real likeness to work from, so they drew on conventions and imagination. This portrait shows how Machiavelli was pictured in the seventeenth century as a historian and writer. Comparing it with later images helps students see how his reputation changed over time.

Look closer

• Why might the painter have chosen a profile view and a dark background?
• What does the inscription MACHIAVELLO HISTORICO tell us about how he was remembered?
• How can we tell which parts of the portrait were imagined rather than based on a real likeness?