This articles summarises some of the findings from research conducted for an occasional paper by a Bank of Italy expert, Angelamaria Fiori, and published by Bank of Italy

Portraiture remains highly popular in banknote design, notwithstanding the growing tendency to move beyond a celebratory perspective and to depict non-human subjects. Historically, however, these portraits have been exclusively male and, while some female portraits have begun to appear over time, depictions of women remain rare