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Secondary sourcePainting1560

Portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent

Cristofano dell'Altissimo · 1560

A profile painting of Sultan Suleiman in a turban, made for Cosimo I de' Medici's gallery of famous men and now in the Uffizi Gallery.

This painting shows Suleiman as he was imagined by European artists decades after his reign, placed among history's great rulers.

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Profile painting of a bearded man in a large white turban and dark robe with gold buttons and white fur-trimmed collar, facing left. Inscription reads SOLIMANVS AET XLIII on the right.
Cristofano dell'Altissimo, Portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent, 1560. Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

About this source

What it is

This is a painted profile portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent, made by the Florentine painter Cristofano dell'Altissimo around 1560. It shows a bearded man in a large white turban and a dark robe with gold buttons, with an inscription naming him and giving his age. The painting is held today at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Why it matters

It was painted for Cosimo I de' Medici, who was collecting portraits of famous rulers and thinkers for his gallery. This shows how, even though Suleiman was a rival of European Christian powers, Europeans saw him as one of the great rulers of the age worth remembering and depicting.

Look closer

  • Why might an Italian duke want a portrait of an Ottoman sultan in his gallery of famous men?
  • What details of clothing and symbols does the painter use to show Suleiman's power?
  • Since the artist likely never met Suleiman, what might be imagined rather than observed?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Suleiman the Magnificent on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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