Description
This bust of Rudolph II seems to be based on an engraving by Martino Rota (1520-1583) who became a court artist of the Hapsburgs, moving to the then capital, Vienna in 1568.
This engraving of the young Rudolph as Emperor must date from his accession in 1576 and Rota’s death in 1583. It shows him as a strong ruler, in parade armour and wearing a laurel wreath, with his quite distinctive moustache but it is particularly his eyes and brows which have been successfully translated by the Deruta decorator.
A slight mispelling of his name would be quite typical for a ceramic decorator, possibly illiterate and copying from a print. The circulation of prints during the 16th century transformed the design options of artists and sculptors who had previously relied for inspiration on drawn sketches of other artworks, usually in the close locality. This opened up the exchange of ideas around Europe.
