Head of a Man in Profile to the Right

In the past this portrait roundel was wrongly attributed to both Cristoforo Solari and Antonio Mantegazza, sculptors active at the court of Ludovico Sforza (called "Il Moro") at the end of the 15th century. It is not by either of them, nor is it a portrait of Sforza, as has been (somewhat romantically) maintained since the piece appeared on the market earlier this century; the type, however, is typically Milanese. Such portrait roundels were inspired, like medals, by both ancient coins and sculpted medallions on which heads of Roman emperors were shown in profile. (The Renaissance artist's notion of how such medallions were deployed on ancient architecture is perfectly demonstrated by their appearance on the flanking reliefs by Briosco and Cazzaniga.)  A large number of similar roundels are incorporated into the lowest register of the profusely decorated facade of the Certosa (Carthusian monastery) at Pavia, just south of Milan.