Portrait of a Man with a Book

The new direction taken by Veronese painting in the 17th century is identified above all in the works by Marcantonio Bassetti, whose portraits possess extraordinary moral vigor. This portrait communicates the absolute vanity and transitoriness of life, avoiding any reference to the social condition or origins of the person portayed. The only tangible element is the inscription above, which gives the date (1626) and the age (85 years), but not the name of the man.