Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original filePortret van Orazio Guarguanti
About This Work
The subject is shown in a bust-length portrait within an oval frame, wearing a high-collared doublet with a fur-lined mantle. He has a trim beard and intense, direct gaze, framed by a Latin inscription detailing his name, origin, and profession. At the bottom of the oval, a small cartouche contains a philosophical motto.
As a prominent 'medicus physicus' in Venice, Guarguanti authored works on theriac and wine that bridged classical medicine with early modern natural philosophy. This print, produced by the Imperial engraver Aegidius Sadeler, demonstrates the elevated status of medical thinkers in the intellectual networks of the late Renaissance, particularly those connected to the court of Rudolf II.
Inscriptions
HORATIVS GVARGVANTVS SONCINENSIS MEDICVS PHYSICVS VENETVS ÆTATIS SVÆ ANNOR. QVADRAGINTA QVATVOR. C. AD SORTEM NATVS VTRAMQ.
Translation
HORATIUS GUARGUANTUS OF SONCINO, PHYSICIAN OF VENICE, IN THE FORTY-FOURTH YEAR OF HIS AGE. BORN TO BOTH FATES.
Connected Texts
Orazio Guarguanti
Author of medical and pharmacological treatises such as 'Tria opuscula' which discusses the virtues of theriac, a key substance in Renaissance pharmacology.
Aegidius Sadeler
The artist was the court engraver to Rudolf II and a central figure in the dissemination of Rudolfine intellectual and scientific culture.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 154 mm x width 124 mm
portrait
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.