Obelerio Antenoreo, Doge of Venice
Copper engraving, by Antonio Nani, before 1867

Nani based many of his portraits of the doges on works already in existence in an attempt to capture their likeness. He explained that he in particular used the oil paintings present at the Ducal Palace, although they began with the ninth doge. Many portraits of the doges that adorned the ceiling of the Maggior Consiglio were destroyed in a fire in 1577. They were restored, possibly using the likeness of portraits belonging to their respective families, and from coins, and sculptures. But Nani believed that the majority would have been drawn from no other source than from the imagination of the painter himself, so that only portraits from 1577 would present the doge's actual appearance. Still, he held the view that the older portraits were faithful to the conventional images that were available of them at the time. He also consulted other sources in an attempt to achieve some accuracy.