Self-Portrait

A humanist and polymath, Alberti in his treatises laid theoretical foundations for Renaissance painting, sculpture, and architecture. This relief is a milestone in the history of portraiture, and it is the earliest independent self-portrait. Fittingly, Alberti presented himself in classical guise: his hairstyle and loose garment knotted in front recall portraits of ancient Roman worthies, while the relief in oval format resembles a cameo on a larger scale. The winged eye hovering in the field is Alberti's personal emblem. It may refer to the all-seeing eye of God, to the primacy of the eye for human inquiry, and even to Egyptian hieroglyphics, which fascinated many humanists.