Portrait with Devil’s Smile

The painting is cursed, it portrays the devil who’ll drive crazy whoever looks at him – that’s what people say. Why is his gaze so unsettling? Who is he really? No one knew, until now. In this episode of Italian Culture, we investigate the story of the Portrait of Unknown by Antonello da Messina, one masterpiece clouded in mystery. Today’s guests are Alessandro dell’Aira, Sandro e Salvatore Varzi, Antonio Purpura and Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa.