The Portrait of Nuno Álvares Botelho is a painting in the Archaeological Survey of India at Goa, India, traditionally identified as a portrait of the Portuguese governor . Scientific examination has revealed that the visible composition of Botelho overlies remnants of a much earlier portrait, which researchers identify as the lost original portrait of Afonso de Albuquerque.
Description The painting, traditionally identified as a portrait of , is in oils on wood, measures 2.05 m × 1.11 m, and was produced in Goa. The portrait was created around the end of the 18th century.
An 1884 description notes: "With the body facing front and the face turned three-quarters to the right, bareheaded, wearing armor, holding a baton with the right hand and the hilt of the sword with the left. To the subject's left, a helmet can be seen on a piece of furniture". Additionally, the portrait features a coat of arms which does not exist in Portuguese heraldry, and the helmet and table mentioned above are concealed in the painting's current state.
References
Bibliography