Portrait of Vitellozzo Vitelli

Signorelli's Portrait of Vitellozzo Vitelli from 1492 depicts the condottiere captain of the Vitelli family, which controlled Città di Castello near Cortona. Signorelli had long-standing ties to this region and its powerful families; Vitellozzo would later be strangled by Cesare Borgia in 1502 at the infamous Senigallia coup. The portrait displays Signorelli's characteristic sculptural approach to portraiture — the sitter's features are rendered with the same muscularity he applied to heroic nudes, giving even a simple bust portrait a sense of physical and psychological weight.

Signorelli renders the condottiere with his characteristic firm, powerful drawing, using strong modeling and direct characterization to capture the military bearing and commanding presence of the sitter.