Who painted Portrait of a Man?

Portrait of a Man was painted by Sebastiano del Piombo in 1512.

Where can I see Portrait of a Man?

Portrait of a Man is held by Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

What movement is Portrait of a Man?

Portrait of a Man is associated with High Renaissance.

Artwork

Portrait of a Man

Sebastiano del Piombo , 1512

Portrait of a Man is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Sebastiano del Piombo. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

About this work

Overview

Portrait of a Man is an oil painting created by Sebastiano del Piombo in 1512. It exemplifies the High Renaissance style, blending Venetian color techniques with Roman monumental forms, a characteristic fusion developed after the artist's relocation to Rome in 1511. The work is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest's collection.

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays a solemn, directly engaging male figure dressed in a dark coat and hat, with a visible white shirt. He holds a piece of paper in his right hand, though the subject's identity and the paper's significance remain unspecified. The overall demeanor conveys seriousness.

Technique & Style

The work showcases Sebastiano del Piombo's mastery of chiaroscuro, employing strong light-dark contrasts to achieve depth and volumetric form. The oil paint medium contributes to the detailed, rich texture of the piece, set against a nuanced landscape background featuring a building under a cloudy sky.

History & Provenance

Created in 1512, shortly after Sebastiano del Piombo's move to Rome, the painting reflects his stylistic adaptation. It is currently housed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, as part of its permanent collection.

Artist & collection

Artist

Sebastiano del Piombo

Sebastiano del Piombo (Italian: ; c. 1485 – 21 June 1547) was an Italian painter of the High Renaissance and early Mannerist periods, famous as the only major artist of the period to combine the colouring of the…