About this artwork
This portrait was at one time thought to be of the artist himself, but has been convincingly identified as his good friend Becuccio the glass-maker (bicchieraio). The inclusion of a glass jug and dish draws attention to the subject's craftsmanship and the artist's own skills as a painter. Even more striking, however, is the emphatic twist of Becuccio's three quarter pose and the prominence given to the play of light on his dark sleeve. The expressive use of shadow at the corners of the eyes and mouth reflect the influence on Del Sarto of Leonardo da Vinci's sfumato, a gradual blending of light and shade.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Andrea del Sarto (1486 - 1530) Italian
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title:Domenico di Jacopo di Matteo, called 'Becuccio Bicchieraio'
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date created:About 1528 - 1530
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materials:Oil on panel
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measurements:86.00 x 67.00 cm; Framed: 114.70 x 96.30 x 12.00 cm / 33.00 kg
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1967
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accession number:NG 2297
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Andrea del Sarto
Andrea del Sarto
Andrea del Sarto was the leading painter in Florence in the 1520s. His harmonious compositions reflect Renaissance ideals, yet his later work also anticipates the elongated figures and discordant colouring associated with mannerism. He was an outstanding draughtsman and made many studies from life...