Artwork
Portrait of a Notable (or Gerolamo Casio)
Portrait of a Notable (or Gerolamo Casio) is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio. It dates from 1505 and is held in the collection of the Contini Bonacossi collection.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1505, this oil portrait is attributed to Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, a Lombard painter who worked within Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop. The painting depicts a seated gentleman, identified as Girolamo Casio, and is part of the Uffizi Gallery’s collection in Florence. It exemplifies the High Renaissance’s interest in individual likeness and refined representation.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown with long dark hair, a black hat, and a black robe trimmed with a white collar, set against an unadorned dark backdrop. His gaze meets the viewer directly, and his expression is restrained, offering only a faint suggestion of a smile, which conveys a dignified yet approachable presence typical of portraiture intended to record status and character.
Technique & Style
Boltraffio employs chiaroscuro to model the figure, using subtle shifts of light and shadow to give the face and garments a three‑dimensional quality. The brushwork is meticulous, especially in rendering the texture of the fabric and the fine details of the hair, reflecting the influence of Leonardo’s study of anatomy and surface.
History & Provenance
After its execution, the portrait entered the collection of the Uffizi Gallery, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Boltraffio rests on stylistic parallels with other works produced in Leonardo’s studio, confirming the artist’s role within that circle of Lombard painters during the early 16th century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio (or Beltraffio) (1466 or 1467 – 1516) was an Italian painter of the High Renaissance from Lombardy, who worked in the studio of Leonardo da Vinci.
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