Un ‘Autoritratto' di Alessandro della Scala da Carona, scultore in nord Italia nella prima metà del Cinquecento.

Self portrait of Alessandro della Scala da Carona, a sculptor in Northern Italy in the first half of the sixteenth century. The paper revolves around a little known stone medallion housed in Palazzo Mozzi Bardini in Florence. The profile portrait bust is a Self portrait of Alessandro della Scala, a sculptor from Carona (Bergamo), active in Italy between 1510 and about 1534. The find is an important addition to the artist’s catalogue, until now made up of only a few examples, many of which are signed. It also provides a chance to take a fresh look at the subject of artists’ portraits and self portraits. This art form was rarely practised in Lombardy. So far no examples have been found by sculptors active in the area between the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Thanks to a recent photographic project, this article is also the first publication to illustrate Alessandro della Scala’s extraordinary artistic prowess. It follows his multicentred career, from his earliest creations to the works produced in Northern Italy.