A Closer Look
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"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."
― Edgar Degas
ALESSANDRO
Masculine | defending men | Italian
DI
Preposition | of | Italian
SAVOIA
Proper noun | Savoy | Italian -
B a s i c s
◖BIRTH NAME◗
Alessandro Filipe di Savoia.
◖NICKNAME◗
His brother has a horrible habit of referring to him as Sandro, but he is the only one allowed to use such a nickname. Otherwise, you can refer to him as Your Highness.
◖ALIAS◗
He has none, even if he briefly considered using one for his art. Certain pieces of his artworks have been signed with a pseudonym, unfortunately for him his most popular ones, but it was a conscious decision. This pseudonym is of course not to be revealed.
◖BIRTH DATE◗
3rd November.
◖AGE◗
23 years old.
◖ZODIAC◗
Scorpio.
◖OCCUPATION◗
He sees himself first and foremost as a painter, an artist if you'd like, and secondly as the second-born son to the royal family.
◖RESIDENCE◗
Palazzo Reale di Torino in Torino, Savoia, Italy.
◖BIRTHPLACE◗
Torino, Italy.
◖ALIGNMENT◗
Himself and his family, his country if he has to admit it.
◖RACE◗
Human.
◖ABILITIES◗
Plenty, though his creative abilities are those he value the most.
◖HEIGHT◗
1,78 m.
◖BODY TYPE◗
Well-built, surprisingly defined underneath the lavish garments.
◖EYES◗
A beautifully green colour with sparks of brown around the pupil.
◖HAIR◗
Light brown of colour, keeping the wavy locks slightly long.
◖COMPLEXION◗
A slightly cooler, tanned colour.
◖TATTOOS◗
None.
◖SCARS◗
The few he had have faded so much that they cannot be seen unless in just the right light. He did spend most of his time indoor, so he weren't prone to scraped knees.
◖HANDEDNESS◗
Right-handed.
◖SEXUALITY◗
He is very much gay.
◖RELATIONSHIP STATUS◗
Generally flirtatious and with a few regular lovers, though always open to add more.
◖LIKES◗
All this beautiful, though that in itself is rather subjective, but he finds beauty in people, in the right surroundings, in the light, in architecture, whatever suits his personal style. Painting is his biggest joy, drawing too, though he prefers bigger canvases. He has a habit of carrying a sketchbook with him anywhere should inspiration strike him. He enjoys music, beautiful fabrics, extravagant embroidery, softness, a new intricate suit, parties and alcohol, sex, early mornings and late nights, though he has a bad habit of sleeping in.
◖DISLIKES◗
He's not too big on being out in the dirt, though he can enjoy and appreciate nature. Competitive sports have never said him anything either, though he can enjoy watching the athletes. Rules are not something he's too keen on either, both in life and in art - if he's told no, there's a good chance he'll do it anyway. Sailing, politics, sleazy nobles, especially the older men, often the best friends of his father, people who do not appreciate the arts.
◖FACECLAIM◗
Lorenzo Richelmy.
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B a c k g r o u n d
"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul."
― Oscar Wilde
THE PAINTER
Finding yourself in the wonders of art, hiding yourself away.
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Alessandro di Savoia was the second-born son to the king and queen of Italy, Umberto and Maria. Two years younger than his older brother, the crown prince Lorenzo, he was always pampered, but not without emphasising the fact that he was never going to inherit the throne. He would always rank second no matter what and that reflected onto his life in general. Lorenzo was not the easiest older brother to have and yet he was an absolute delight, which made it so much more difficult. He was simply so good at everything and Alessandro was just there, but at the same time he treated him so well, all while he felt annoyingly jealous of all the attention that the brother would get for doing the bare minimum. Of course, his bare minimum was quite impressive, but it did not make it any easier for the young boy. The only thing he found any joy in was art. He showed a talent for perception and sketching at a young age and his parents were thrilled that he actually showed talent in something. Painting was a man's job after all and with his royal background, he could easily sustain himself, even get the best of teachers and training. While his parents hoped that it would give him discipline, the world of art unleashed something in him that they would probably have preferred to stay dormant; but Alessandro discovered beauty and he quickly became consumed.
The older he got, the more defiant he became. His relationship with his parents became more strained as he became more outgoing, as the revelation of art quickly brought other things with it, even his relationship with his brother took at hit, as the brothers had a hard time really understanding each other. Alessandro knew that he would always be the annoying, younger brother so why not get the most of it and take advantage of the situation to his own benefit. No one cared after all, so why not make it fun along the way? Within beauty, he had been introduced to women and nudity soon followed as his masters encouraged it, maybe in a desperate attempt to prevent the inevitable ― the exposure to the naked bodies of beautiful women did not do much to him though, yes, he enjoyed painting them and he proved excellent at portraying these goddesses onto paper, onto canvases, but as they exposed themselves to the young boy, he felt nothing but a faint feeling of inspiration. The moment he truly felt inspired was the first moment he caught a glimpse of the male body. At that point, it was too late. It was a mistake from his master's side, when he brought in a male model, since Alessandro nonetheless needed a grasp of both female and male anatomy, but he saw something that his master did not. Yes, the portrait was supposed to resemble the god of Apollo, but to Alessandro this bare-chested man was more than that. What started as a rapid heartbeat developed into a sense of inspiration he had never felt, and the portrait turned out to be more than of a mere student. While it briefly marked the end of his apprenticeship, it is with no doubt that his parents would have preferred that he stayed a student for at bit longer if it had prevented the lust that would soon follow, but it was only a matter of time.
Alessandro's position as the black sheep of the family is something that he has now embraced. He will never be king anyway, so why should he follow the rules? He has no interest in power, no interest in a wife, no interest in a family. To him, his life is just like he wants it to be ― filled with art and gorgeous men. He is well aware that this is a sin and that his parents would prefer that he was not so loud and horribly lazy when it comes to hiding it, but he cannot help but rebel. While he has made it into his twenties, he still enjoys being defiant, he bathes in this idea that everyone has of him as being overly flamboyant, superficial, and the epitome of a sinner. While some of it might be true, it is definitely not his entire being, but there is no point of trying to explain. He knows that there's no point and no one will listen to him at this point. He sees how people look at him, he hears the whispers as he walks down the hallways of the castle, but he has stopped caring long ago. Instead, he has simply decided to live a life that he would enjoy, even if it might be his downfall.
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C o r e t r a i t s
“The painter has the Universe in his mind and hands.”
― Leonardo da Vinci
○ C O N F I D E N T
adj. | con·fi·dent
Having or showing assurance and self-reliance. Alessandro carries himself and his being with utmost confidence. He loves himself and who he is and he finds that others should have that opinion as well, though he is well aware that most do not. He cares little about that, though, as he has learnt that he gets nothing from expecting anything from others anyway ― the only one he can rely on is himself. This confidence translates into his art, even if this is probably where you can find him in his most vulnerable, sensitive state. This is his true self, what he portrays on the canvas, and while he might boast and refer to it in the most confident of manners, a part of him is deeply concerned that his art does nothing. If he cannot move others with his art, what then is the point to his life? In general though, he comes of as incredibly confident, but it's mostly due to the fact that he has barricaded himself so efficently that it's extremely believable.○ F L A M B O Y A N T
adj. | flam·boy·ant
Marked by or given to strikingly elaborate or colourful display or behaviour; likely to attract attention. One way that he comes of as extremely confident is his flamboyance. He is animated and all over the place, loves to be out where everyone else don't even dare to approach, simply because he can. He loves the reactions, he loves the panic that it stirs through people as they don't know how to approach his behaviour; and it simply keeps them from coming closer. He attracts attention and he enjoys it. He enjoys people looking at him, even if they are mostly judging them, but if he himself is flamboyant, he feels like he at least has a bit of control over it. He chooses to be perceived this way, even if it's not favourable, but at least it's easier when you choose it yourself and find it enjoyable, instead of people simply assuming.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔○ D E F I A N T
adj. | de·fi·ant
Full of or showing a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight. Alessandro is not one to follow the rules. While he can and does it sometimes, he is most likely to go against the stream simply because he can. People will have opinions of him no matter what, so why not go all the way to begin with and prove them right. He might have been born a royal, but he would like to determine as much of his own fate as possible. It's especially when his parents try to set boundaries and walls up around him that he rebels against it with all of his might. This also means that he will fight for what he deems right, no matter what. It might be an idea, it might be a person, but if he believes in you, he will fight for you.○ L O N E S O M E
adj. | lone·some
Sad or dejected as a result of lack of companionship or separation from others. While he enjoys this outgoing and over the top approach, Alessandro must admit that he feels lonely because of this. He is aware that it is himself and only himself that's to blame for the fact that he has very few people close to him. Yes, he has countless of lovers who would gladly warm him up and make it feel like he has someone, just for a moment, but that is what it is: A moment that passes as quickly as it came. He spends most of his time alone when he's not painting a model and he knows that very few will come to his aide if he needed it. Lovers are merely lovers and he knows that most of them are scared of the repercussions that a friendship with him would cause. Even when he's together with people that he might see as his friends, he feels alone, as these mostly stay by his side because of his family. In general, he doesn't trust people, as they all want something from him, whether it's money, sex, or power ― it's definitely not him. -
S i g n a t u r e
