| Giovanni VIII Paleologo’s journey to Italy for the 1438-39 Council of Ferrara-Florence was the occasion that marked the diffusion of a particular type of iconography of the Renaissance. In the west, the image of the sovereign was completely independent, varied and rich in meanings although it had developed parallel to Byzantine traditions. During his stay in Italy, Giovanni VIII, the last but one Basileus Rhomaion, had the opportunity to have his portrait painted by Pisanello on the famous celebrative medal. From this moment on, the profile of the sovereign aroused the fascination of Renaissance artists and became an iconographic typology affecting all the arts, from painting in primis with Piero della Francesca, to sculpture with Filarete, from miniature engravings to ceramics. Giovanni VIII’s profile and garments are present in works of the Renaissance that are linked to power, the East, the Roman world with a large range of meanings. In painting the Pope’s face is used to represent Constantine the Great, Diocletian, Pilate, Herod but the list of those who are testimony to this in the form of miniatures and engravings is even longer, the most frequent being Mohammed II, the great enemy of Constantine who conquered Constantinople. Iohannis Paleologi VIII effigies: pro multis viris illustribus una persona (compendium) |