Romanino
Italian painter, ca. 1484 - after 1562
Portrait of a Gentleman
About 1520/40
Oil on canvas
30 x 25 5/8 inches (76.2 x 65 centimeters)
Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1960.
1960.023.000 KB

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but his wealth and status are apparent from his rich clothing. The metallic threads reflecting from the folds of the sitter's garments, the smooth hilt of his sword, and his bushy beard are examples of the range of texture made possible by oil paints. In the sixteenth century fast drying, opaque tempera paints, which were made of pigments mixed with egg and water, were largely replaced by oils. The linseed or walnut oil used in these paints dried more slowly and was transparent, allowing the artist to render greater depth and a broad range of textures by applying thin layers of paint, a process called "glazing."