Self-portrait of Antonio Badile

Antonio Badile, an authoritative and multifaceted artist who died at the age of 42 in 1560, led the family's secular workshop – active from the 14th to the 17th century – in the artistic transition from early 16th century classicism to a more cultured and complex painting technique of which Veronese will be one of the greatest exponents. The self-portrait, signed and dated 1552, is evidently set in the painter's studio. From the window behind him there is a view of a square and a crossroads between the streets of the city center. In the foreground, placed on the table next to the note that he holds in his right hand, we can see the symbols that characterize the different skills of the artist: the burin is linked to his activity as an engraver, in which his father, Jerome, had specialized; the pens and the inkwell are linked to that of a draftsman. Also on the table there is the album where Badile collected studies and graphic testimonies, even from his ancestors or admired colleagues. In the 17th century the drawing book was part of the Veronese collection of Count Ludovico Moscardo, but was later dismembered and his sheets now enrich the collections of the most prestigious museums in the world.