The Uffizi Gallery in Florence houses the world’s largest collection of artists’ self-portraits, the ‘Galleria degli Autoritratti.’ Founded in 1650 by Leopoldo de’ Medici and expanded by Cosimo III, this unique collection reflects the 17th century’s epistemological approaches.

Through a network of agents and empirical research, the Medici patrons acquired only genuine self-portraits, resulting in a special collection. Anna Maria Jonietz provides the first analysis of the ‘Galleria’s’ art-theoretical and academic-historical aspects. She explores the strategies of display and persuasion, demonstrating how the exhibition concept facilitated a visual study of art and its history.