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Original filePortret van Ottavio Strada
About This Work
Ottavio Strada is depicted in a bust-length portrait, wearing a wide pleated ruff and a heavy fur-trimmed cloak. To his left is an oval coat of arms featuring an eagle and heraldic shields encircled by a laurel wreath. The background is a dense cross-hatched pattern, emphasizing the scholarly gravity of the subject.
Ottavio Strada was a central figure in the 'Rudolfine' circle of Prague, serving as an antiquarian and numismatist for Emperor Rudolf II. His work in cataloging and collecting ancient medals and genealogy was part of the broader Renaissance effort to reconstruct a universal history, a project deeply intertwined with the court's interests in natural philosophy and the Hermetic arts.
Inscriptions(Latin)
IN LABORE MEO REQVIES. Ao CHR. M. D. C. ÆTATIS. L. ADMODVM ILLVSTRI VIRO DNO. OCTAVIO DE STRADA A ROSBERG RODVL. II. ROM. IMP. NOBILI AVLICO ANTIQVARIO ET CIVI ROMANO.
Translation
IN MY LABOR IS REST. IN THE YEAR OF CHRIST 1600. OF AGE 50. TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS MAN, LORD OCTAVIUS DE STRADA OF ROSBERG, NOBLEMAN TO RUDOLF II, ROMAN EMPEROR, COURT ANTIQUARY AND CITIZEN OF ROME.
Connected Texts
Rudolf II
Ottavio Strada served as the court antiquarian (Aulico Antiquario) to the Holy Roman Emperor, managing his vast collections of wonders.
Jacopo Strada
Ottavio was the son of Jacopo Strada, the influential court architect and antiquarian who pioneered the systematic study of ancient coins and emblems.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 186 mm x width 120 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.