About this artwork

This portrait study presents a straightforward and unidealised image of an unknown man. The attention to detail in the description of the features, hair and beard are typical of Lotto’s portraiture. The sitter bears a strong resemblance to the figure in Lotto’s Portrait of a Goldsmith in Three Positions in Vienna, and this drawing may in fact be another representation of the same man, albeit later in his life. It has been suggested that the goldsmith was Bartolomeo Carpan, one of Lotto’s closest friends. Lotto’s depiction is sympathetic to the sitter’s distinctive, somewhat chunky features. The soft modelling of the face makes what could be a rather formal, distanced presentation far more accessible and appealing.

Updated before 2020

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Lorenzo Lotto

Lorenzo Lotto