Decorative plate with Italian woman (Correction - Man!)

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Posted 16 months, 4 days ago

SMD
(87 items)

Made in Italy, another item my grandmother picked up while living in Rome in the 1970's (she purchased a lot of antiques while she was there). Who is this mysterious woman and how old is this piece?

Comments

1. Dizzydave, 16 months, 4 days ago
   The portrait is Dante Alighieri, born 1265 and died 1321, is Italy's greatest poet.
   
   http://i.acdn.us/image/A1015/1015510/300_1015510.jpg
   The plate looks to be 1920-30's. Italy=prior to ww2.
   Dave
2. Dizzydave, 16 months, 4 days ago
   Oh yea, Its a MAN!! LOL
3. SMD, 16 months, 4 days ago
   Ummm a man?! Oops.
   
   Thanks, way to go solving this mystery!
4. Dizzydave, 16 months, 4 days ago
   I have a renaissance book downstairs, just remembered the face. LOL Dave
5. SMD, 16 months, 4 days ago
   Found a more manly painting of him: http://payingattentiontothesky.com/2009/11/25/reading-selections-from-dante-a-party-of-one/
6. Dizzydave, 16 months, 4 days ago
   They wore some strange head gear in them days, hard to tell man from woman. I think men wore more lace than women did! LOL Dave
7. Savoychina1, 16 months, 4 days ago
   You can google the subject then click on images. This plate looks in the "style" but is clearly a feminine face.
   
   http://emt.bu.edu/em610/em610_other/morganaj/docs/Europoets.htm
8. SMD, 16 months, 4 days ago
   It's not just the head gear. Maybe it's just me, but the face on the piece I have looks very feminine!
9. SMD, 16 months, 4 days ago
   Savoychina, the link Dizzydave posted shows a nearly identical image to the one on the plate.
   http://i.acdn.us/image/A1015/1015510/300_1015510.jpg
10. Dizzydave, 16 months, 4 days ago
    The back of plate has his name, Dante. Dave
11. Savoychina1, 16 months, 4 days ago
    Yes, I checked it out before I wrote. The one I listed is on the same page. While the image is similar, the plate is clearly more feminine. The jaw line, the cheek bone structure and the lips are unmistakeble. I'm just saying...
12. SMD, 16 months, 4 days ago
    Artist's interpretation, it's Dante Alighieri. It makes sense that my grandmother acquired it while in Italy, she loved classic literature & poetry and Dante Alighieri wrote (among other works) Divine Comedy, a literary masterpiece.
13. SMD, 16 months, 4 days ago
    Dizzydave I was reading that as "Leante" which sounded Spanish and not Italian to me! After you first posted about it being Dante Alighieri the bells went off that it's not Leante but rather Dante. Duh!
14. Dizzydave, 16 months, 4 days ago
    It was common practice in those days to paint people beautifully. Even if it was a male. The made the skin smooth and white even if it was wrinkled and age spotted. Men would often have the appereance of a woman, and younger guys really looked like little girls. SMD, sometimes we just have to sit back and look at things from a different perspective. LOL Dave
15. SMD, 16 months, 4 days ago
    Thanks for loving it, Dave! I now have a new appreciation for it.

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