Pavli Iovii ... Vitae Dvodecim Vicecomitvm Mediolani Principvm: Ex Bibliotheca Regia
A 1549 Latin biographical book by Paolo Giovio, printed in Basel, presenting lives of the Visconti rulers of Milan through framed portrait busts with Latin captions. The four portraits are woodcut profiles of men in caps, hoods and fur-trimmed robes, set in rectangular frames with name plaques below. A designer could borrow the plain framed-bust format, the crisp black-and-white line work and the cartouche labels for historical or heritage layouts.
