Benvenuto Cellini's Self Portrait
The Benvenuto Cellini Self-Portrait (Asset Record #CAF-001) is the principal art asset of Cellini Art Fund S.p.A. The portrait is currently subject to institutional proceedings in Italy initiated by the Procura della Repubblica di Verona. Cellini Art Fund S.p.A. firmly contests these proceedings and is fully confident in the scientific and legal record supporting the attribution. The painting remains a registered asset of the company.
The Discovery
Benvenuto Cellini was already celebrated in sixteenth-century Italy as a master goldsmith and sculptor, and as the author of a famously vivid autobiography, La Vita.
The portrait rediscovered in 2004 reveals a side of his talent that had gone unrecognised: Cellini was also a painter. The discovery adds an unexpected dimension to his legacy, one that broadens our sense of his range as an artist.
Benvenuto Cellini, Self-Portrait, 61 x 48 cm, Oil on Paper and Canvas, Cellini Art Fund
This is the only known painted self-portrait by Benvenuto Cellini. Since its rediscovery in 2004, it has been studied by leading art historians in Italy, the United Kingdom, and France. A notarial inventory drawn up after the artist's death in 1571 places the painting in the entrance hall of his home, the earliest documented trace of its existence.
For centuries, Cellini's actual likeness was unknown to scholars. This portrait restored it, along with the means to recognise his face hidden within his own sculpture. Cellini, it turns out, repeatedly worked self-portraits into his work, a practice invisible until this painting reappeared. More than a likeness, it is the key that reopened a forgotten dimension of his works.
Studies
Condition Report
Dr Walden is a respected conservator and restorer at the Louvre Museum and a Fellow of the International Institute of Conservation.
Monograph
An exploration of the relationship between the portrait and Benvenuto Cellini's wider artistic oeuvre in an academic context.
Stylistic Analysis
The expertise is brought to you by Dr Analisa Di Maria and Dr Andrea Da Montefeltro, both members of the Centro per l'UNESCO in Florence, Italy.
Multispectral Analysis
Multispectral analysis provides a unique perspective on the portrait by revealing details that are not visible to the naked eye.
As seen in
A Timeline of Events
2004
Discovery
Discovered in 2004 in Fayence, the portrait was purchased as an unknown painting.
2006
Preliminary Study of the portrait
Studied by eminent laboratories and conservators in France including pigment analyses and x-ray carried out by laboratories that work with the Louvre museum, confirmed the painting is dated from the 16th century.
2010
Anthropological Study
Dr. Raoul Perrot, a distinguished forensic anthropologist, has pioneered a revolutionary method for identifying sitters in paintings by studying the portrait. Through his expertise, we gain profound insights into Cellini's oeuvre, including the remarkable ability to unlock long-lost knowledge about Benvenuto Cellini's face.
2015
Studied By Dr. Sarah Walden
The painting undergoes extensive study by Dr Sarah Walden, a conservator and restorer at the Louvre Museum and a Fellow of the International Institute of Conservation, producing a condition report which further confirms previous scientific conclusions about the portrait's dating to the 16th century.
2020
Italian Confirmation
During this period, Italian scientific and conservation studies were conducted on the portrait, whose findings corroborated and reinforced the conclusions already reached by international researchers in France and the United Kingdom. The body of evidence supporting the attribution continued to grow, building a consistent scientific record across multiple independent institutions.
2021
Unveiled in Italy and Fund created
In commemoration of the 450th year since Cellini's death, we proudly unveiled the portrait on Italian soil. The momentous occasion took place at a broadcasted conference held at the prestigious Palazzo di Gran Guardia in Verona, Italy. This event served as a tribute to Cellini's legacy and brought together experts, art enthusiasts, and a global audience to witness the unveiling of the portrait in all its glory. The portrait was ceremoniously handed over to the fund.
2022/3
Cellini Art Fund Begins Production
From 2022 to 2023, Cellini Art Fund took the steps it had always been building toward: developing original documentary productions, financing them through regulated private placements, and bringing culturally significant stories to international audiences.