FRANCESCO TERZI

Born in 1525 Terzi distinguished himself as a history painter and was later appointed by Emperor Maximilian II as court painter. The greater part of his life was spent in Germany and upon his death a series after his portraits of the Austrian arch-ducal family was engraved. The prints of European noblemen serve to demonstrate Terzi's figurative style and offer a record of 16th Century costume. The migration of interest from Theology to Humanism at this time is asserted by the figures' central position in these prints surrounded by decorative rococo columns and portals.