the wax portrait of István Báthory

The wax portrait of István Báthory, a finely executed bust portrait mounted on silk, is preserved in a gilded copper box decorated by engravings. According to an inscription on the box, the portrait was made in 1586. On the basis of a record in an accounting book it seems likely that its artist was Giovanni Ricci, an Italian artist active on Cracow. The royal accounting books mention several wax portraits made of the king. This genre of art was very popular all over Europe. Báthory's portrait is conserved in the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest.

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