Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach

http://data.europeana.eu/agent/31495 · 1557

The painting shows how quotations from the Bible and the Greek Church Fathers could be used to promote a distinctive Christian identity. The Greek inscription in the lower left corner is from 1 Tim. 6, 6 ("Godliness with contentment is great gain"), which Amerbach also used to adorn his coat of arms. Another Greek inscription ("in one, all") is placed on either side of Amerbach's head and recalls Dio Chrysostom's characterisation of Paul (Hom. 2 Cor. 25.3 = PG 61:574). These words may have been added by Giovanni Bernardino Bonifacio (1517-97), who received the painting as a gift, as a tribute to Amerbach, drawing a parallel between him and the Apostle.