Portrait of Don Baldassarre di Antonio di Angelo – Galleria dell’Accademia – Florence

The painting was originally to be placed en pendant, together with the Portrait of Don Biagio Milanesi, in the lower part of the Vallombrosa Altarpiece, now dismembered.

While the presence of Don Biagio’s portrait in the Altarpiece is evident, as he was the patron of the work and General of the Order at that time, scholars questioned the presence and therefore the role of the monk Baldassarre; it is possible that he had participated in the realization of the large painting with a large sum. However, his charismatic personality shines through the somatic features: his strong-willed, serene expression qualifies him as a living emblem of the whole Vallombrosan family.

As for the stylistic level, the marked lines in the rendering of the figure are affected by Perugino’s experience in the artistic environment of Florence, showing suggestions derived from Andrea del Verrocchio and Bartolomeo della Gatta.

The portrait is preserved at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence.