| Sumario: | This book focuses on Michel Sittow (1469–1525), an early modern portrait painter from Reval (now Tallinn), and his decade-long service to Queen Isabella of Castile from 1492, as well as his later involvement with the Habsburg dynasty. It situates Sittow within the broader context of European dynastic politics and court culture, tracing his artistic and political connections across the Baltics, the Low Countries, and the Iberian Peninsula. The author reconstructs Sittow’s career primarily through scarce documentary evidence and two securely attributed paintings, highlighting the painter’s role in introducing state portraiture to Iberia and his participation in royal representation. The book combines detailed archival research with rich visual material to explore the cultural and political networks surrounding early modern ruling families, while acknowledging the limitations and gaps in the historical record.
|
|---|