Artwork
Portrait of a seated Old Man
Portrait of a seated Old Man is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Giovanni Battista Moroni. It is held in the collection of the Accademia Carrara.
About this work
Overview
Giovanni Battista Moroni’s oil painting, dated 1588, portrays an elderly gentleman seated in a dignified pose. The work is part of the collection of the Accademia Carrara, where it is displayed among other examples of late‑Renaissance portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is an older man with a full white beard and hair, dressed in a dark blue robe trimmed with fur at the collar. He wears a modest black cap and holds a book in his right hand, suggesting literacy or scholarly interests, while his left hand rests on a carved wooden armrest, adding a sense of personal presence.
Technique & Style
Moroni employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting illuminated facial features with a subdued background to give the figure three‑dimensional depth. The brushwork captures the texture of the fur‑lined collar and the smoothness of the robe, while fine detailing in the book and the carved armrest demonstrates the artist’s meticulous observation.
History & Provenance
Created in the late sixteenth century, the portrait entered the Accademia Carrara’s holdings through the museum’s acquisitions of regional Renaissance works. Its attribution to Moroni has been affirmed by stylistic analysis and documentation linking the painting to the artist’s known oeuvre of realistic, individualized portraits.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Moroni, also known as Giambattista Moroni was an Italian painter of the Mannerist school.
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