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This portrait formerly belonged to the Avogadro Collection in Brescia and it probably represents Gerolamo Avogadro (died 1534). Dated on the step (bottom right), it is the earliest known independent life-size full-length portrait produced in Italy.

The distant gaze of the sitter and the amplitude of the costume recall the tradition of Venetian portraiture as developed by Giorgione and the young Titian in the early years of the 16th century. A Saint Christopher badge is prominently displayed on the gentleman's hat.

Details

  • Title: Portrait of a Man
  • Creator: Moretto da Brescia
  • Date Created: 1526
  • Physical Dimensions: 201 x 92.2 cm
  • Type: Painting
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • School: Italian (Brescian)
  • More Info: Explore the National Gallery’s paintings online
  • Inventory number: NG1025
  • Artist Dates: about 1498 - 1554
  • Artist Biography: Alessandro Bonvicino (called Moretto) was, with Romanino, the leading painter of Brescia in the early 16th century, when the town became part of the Venetian empire. Moretto's work was strongly influenced by Giorgione and Titian, and he may have trained in Titian's studio, though he retained much of the naturalism associated with painting in Lombardy in the 16th century. The majority of Moretto's paintings are large-scale canvases painted for religious foundations in and around Brescia. Portraits by him are rarer, though he excelled in portraiture, passing on his skills to his most famous pupil, Moroni.
  • Acquisition Credit: Bought, 1876

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