Portrait of a Man
Flemish
1570–1580
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Dimensions
- 46.8 × 33.9 cm (18 7/16 × 13 3/8 in.); Framed: 61 × 48.6 × 5.1 cm (24 × 19 1/8 × 2 in.)
- Genre
- oil on panel
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
paintingportraits: male subjectpaint16th Centuryoil on panelportraitpanel paintingmenoil paint (paint)painting (image making)painting techniquesmanoil paintingpanel (wood)european painting
About
A mottled background, pitch-black costume, and bright ruff all serve to highlight the enigmatic visage of this unidentified man. Though his arresting gaze invites the viewer in, his face is also turned away and cast partially in shadow, as if he seeks to keep his distance from the individual on the other side of the picture plane. Other versions of this composition exist, suggesting that the man’s mysterious character and distinctive appearance captivated many artists and patrons of his time.
