 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of Margherita, Duchess of Ferrara early 17th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Self-portrait 1624 drawing British Museum |
Ottavio Leoni (1578-1630) was "the leading portraitist of Rome during the early 17th century" according to curators at the British Museum where the spectacular self-portrait immediately above is preserved. Between 1615 and 1629 Leoni compiled an album of over 400 portrait drawings with the faces of those who were powerful enough to sit for him. The drawings did not go to the sitters, but were instead the models for portrait engravings (samples of the engravings will appear here tomorrow). When Leoni died in 1630 the album of portrait drawings was immediately sold by the family – for a generous price – to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, pre-eminent collector of the age, builder of Villa Borghese, patron of Caravaggio. Scholars believe the album remained intact until at least 1747, when it was re-sold in Paris. Eventually, like most such albums, it was broken up and the drawings dispersed around the world.
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of Piermarino Bernabò 1618 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of Giovanni Battista Rossa 1620 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of Cardinal Francesco Barberini 1624 drawing British Museum |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of a youth 1620 drawing British Museum |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of Prudenzia Montone early 17th century drawing Morgan Library, New York |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of a young woman ca. 1620 drawing Prado |
 |
| attributed to Ottavio Leoni Portrait of a woman early 17th century drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of Pope Gregory XV 1621 drawing British Museum |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of the painter Federico Barocci early 17th century drawing Morgan Library, New York |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of a woman 1622 drawing Morgan Library, New York |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni Portrait of Settimia Manenti Salernitana 1629 drawing Morgan Library, New York |
 |
| Ottavio Leoni The artist's son, swaddled early 17th century drawing Ashmolean Museum, Oxford |