Portrait of a Man
Artist
Girolamo Romanino
(c. 1484-1562)
Datecirca 1517-1518
MediumBlack chalk
DimensionsIMAGE: 8 13/16 x 6 11/16 in. (22.4 x 17 cm)
FRAMED: 22 1/8 x 18 11/16 in. (56.2 x 47.5 cm)
FRAMED: 22 1/8 x 18 11/16 in. (56.2 x 47.5 cm)
ClassificationDrawings
Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1959
Object numberSN706
Born in Brescia, on the western boundary of the Lombardy region, Girolamo Romanino was highly influenced by a variety of regional styles. From Venice he learned color and light, from Brescia a sense of perspective, and from the region bordering Germany, a stern narrative style. The German influence seems to figure most prominently here. Staring straight out at the viewer with an almost confrontational gaze, the sitter has an air of severity typical in northern art. His pupils are the darkest, most concentrated use of the black chalk on the page, which further emphasizes his grave demeanor.
Overall, the composition is extremely loose in execution, which is a Venetian characteristic. Notice how the sitter's shoulders, chest, neck, and face are composed of broken, almost frenzied lines that only summarily indicate form. Also typically Venetian is the use of soft black chalk on blue-toned paper.
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Girolamo Romanino
