Portrait of a Man

Dated and signed “Antonellus messaneus pinxit”, this work came to the Museum from the City of Milan as compensation for the cancellation of Vittorio Viale’s negotiations for the purchase of the Trivulzio Collection. This painting is one of the finest created by Antonello, who was seeking to achieve a perfect balance between the analytical form of representation he had taken from the Flemish and the rational, perspective approach of the Italian Renaissance. The psychological keenness of the eyes, the ironic curl of the smile, and the stunning realism of the anatomical details make this painting one of the most famous portraits in all European art