Unknown maker
Francesco Sforzaprobably c. 1480/1500
An unrecorded North Italian artist painted this (probably c. 1480/1500). It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. More about this work
About this work
This painting shows an upper-body portrait of a man in a three-quarter view, turned to the left. He has a prominent double chin, a slightly furrowed brow, thin lips, and a serious expression. He has pale yellow skin and short, dark hair, and he wears a large, red hat. He is clad in silver armor with red straps on his shoulder and chest. The background is a simple, dark green color.
Description from the National Gallery of Art.
An unrecorded North Italian artist painted this (probably c. 1480/1500). It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
How it was made
- Oil on panel
- Oil paint on prepared wooden boards, usually oak in the north and poplar in Italy. The rigid, smooth surface suits fine detail and thin, glowing glazes.
- Oil paint
- Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.
Renaissance
European art from about 1400 to 1600, when painters rediscovered perspective and the classical past.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The National Gallery of Art has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 1942.9.4
- Credit
- Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
- Type
- Painting
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
