Artwork

Portrait of a Man

Portrait of a Man, by Jacob van Utrecht, paint, 1523
Portrait of a Man, by Jacob van Utrecht, paint, 1523

Portrait of a Man is a paint painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Jacob van Utrecht. It dates from 1523 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

About this work

Overview

Portrait of a Man, painted in 1523 by Jacob van Utrecht, is an oil painting representative of the Northern Renaissance portrait genre. The work is currently part of the collection at the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

Subject & Meaning

The subject of the portrait is an unidentified bearded man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a dark robe with patterned sleeves, holding a sword. The composition conveys a sense of solemnity and individuality, characteristic of Renaissance portraiture.

Technique & Style

Van Utrecht employed strong chiaroscuro, a hallmark of European Renaissance painting, to create depth. The sharp lighting on the subject's face contrasts with the shadowy background, which subtly features a distant landscape of ships and rocky cliffs.

History & Provenance

Created in 1523, the painting's early history is not detailed here, but it is known to be part of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin's collection, indicating its recognized value within the Northern Renaissance canon.

Context

As a Northern Renaissance work, Portrait of a Man reflects the period's emphasis on individual portraiture and the use of chiaroscuro to add emotional and spatial depth to paintings.

Legacy

While specific influences or direct artistic legacies of Portrait of a Man are not highlighted, its style and technique place it firmly within the tradition of Northern Renaissance portraiture, contributing to the broader understanding of the era's artistic practices.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Jacob van Utrecht

Artist

Jacob van Utrecht

Jacob Claesz van Utrecht, also named by his signature Jacobus Traiectensis (c. 1479 – after 1525) was a Flemish early Renaissance painter who worked in Antwerp and Lübeck.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Gemäldegalerie Berlin open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.