They have returned
Redivivi was born from the desire to bring the great figures of European and world history back to life through a series of extraordinary photorealistic portraits, created through a balanced combination of artistic sensitivity, technological expertise, and historical scholarship. Each individual piece is a unique work, a single element within a vast mosaic. A unified project, conceived to grow over time as an ordered, recognisable and accessible body of work. Beauty is not pursued as a decorative goal, but emerges from historical rigour, attention to detail and visual clarity. A collection not designed to impress momentarily, but to endure.
The Finest Collection
Redivivi adopts the classic postcard format to present historical figures in a clear, essential and direct manner. A simple medium, yet one rich in historical meaning, allowing full focus on the image and its subject without unnecessary mediation. Each postcard is conceived as an autonomous unit, identified by a catalogue number and included within specific thematic series. A refined collectible object, but also a tool for consultation, restoring to each historical figure a concrete and recognisable presence. The reduced format does not simplify the content; it makes it accessible.
Striking Likeness
The sense of realism and familiarity evoked by our postcards is no coincidence. Each portrait is the result of a meticulous process of somatic reconstruction, based on the careful analysis of the most reliable contemporary iconographic sources available. The aim is neither to idealise nor to modernise, but to restore a credible human likeness that comes as close as possible to the subject’s true physical appearance. The outcome is not artistic fantasy, but a historically grounded reconstruction, capable of bringing the past closer to the present without distorting it.
Details matter
Clothing, hairstyles and every aspect of the figures’ outward appearance are reconstructed with the same level of care, starting from contemporary paintings that are critically analysed and compared. Fabrics, armour, furs, footwear, jewellery and all other accessories worn by the subjects are not invented, but derived as faithfully as possible from historical iconographic sources. Each detail therefore tells a distinct and unique story, and constitutes a valuable reference for the study of the history of dress and costume.
For learning
Our postcards are also conceived as educational tools. The image serves not only an aesthetic function, but helps make immediately legible historical information that is often difficult to visualise: physical appearance, clothing, social rank, political or military role. One of the project’s aims is to spark curiosity—especially among younger audiences—stimulating interest in the study of history and encouraging deeper exploration of the figures represented and the great families to which they belonged. In this sense, the image does not replace knowledge, but accompanies and strengthens it.