Artwork
Man with turban
Man with turban is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Annibale Carracci. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Galleria Borghese.
About this work
Overview
Man with Turban is an oil painting attributed to Annibale Carracci, dated to the mid‑sixteenth century. The work presents a solitary male figure in profile, his gaze directed toward the right, set against a darkened backdrop that isolates the subject and highlights the details of his attire.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter wears a turban, a long beard, and a fur‑trimmed cloak over a red garment, accented by a gold brooch. His expression is sober, with eyes that appear to look beyond the picture plane, suggesting a contemplative or dignified presence rather than a narrative scene.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting demonstrates Carracci’s early handling of light and shadow, employing a stark chiaroscuro that models the facial features and fabric. The brushwork balances fine detail in the textiles with broader, more fluid strokes in the background, hinting at the artist’s later dynamic Baroque approach.
History & Provenance
The portrait is part of the collection of the Galleria Borghese in Rome. Though created early in Carracci’s career—before his major contributions to the Baroque movement—it provides insight into his developing synthesis of classical compositional principles with a more vigorous visual language.
Artist & collection
Artist
Annibale Carracci ( kə-RAH-chee, UK also kə-RATCH-ee, Italian: ; November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome.
