Portrait of a Man

Artist Bernardo Strozzi Italian, 1581/82–1644

Datecirca 1625–1632

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions46 1/2 x 35 1/2 in. (118.1 x 90.2 cm)
Frame: 58 7/8 x 48 1/2 in. (149.5 x 123.2 cm)

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineGift of R. J. and G. C. Maxwell, in honor of their sister, Rachel Maxwell Moore

Object numberGL.59.36.1

On View

Not on view

Label Text
The unflinching realism of this portrait is characteristic of the Baroque naturalism of some seventeenth-century painters, particularly Caravaggio and his followers. As a resident of Genoa in his formative years, Strozzi was well situated to absorb the influence of some of the leading artists of his day, including northern and Italian followers of Caravaggio, and the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, all of whom spent time in the city in the 1620s. From the portraits of Van Dyck, Strozzi adopted the angled pose and the effect of spotlighting the figure against a dark background. The varied textures, depth of color, and broad, fluid brushwork are characteristic of Strozzi’s Genoese canvases.

Although the identity of the sitter is not known, Strozzi has included attributes that offer some indication of the man’s station in life. The understated elegance of his somber costume is apparent in the rich fabric, fur trim, and fine white collar and cuffs. His lace-trimmed handkerchief is another indication of wealth and high social position. On the table beside the man’s chair are a book and a pen and inkwell, suggesting that he is a learned man. His disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes do not diminish the sharpness and intelligence of his gaze.
ProvenanceWith Julius Weitzner, New York; on loan to NCMA, from R.J. and G.C. Maxwell, Augusta, Georgia 1958; given to NCMA, 1962.
Published ReferencesLuisa Mortari, "Aggiunte allo Strozzi," Paragone 24 (1962), no. 155, illus.

La Chronique des Arts, supplement to Gazette des Beaux-Arts, no. 1129 (February 1963), 27, illus. no. 112.

"Accessions of American and Canadian Museums," The Art Quarterly 26, no. 2 (Summer 1963), 265, illus. 253.

"Acquisitions," North Carolina Museum of Art Bulletin 4, nos. 2 and 3, (Winter-Spring 1964), mentioned 4, listed 59, illus. (b-w) 46.

Luisa Mortari, Bernardo Strozzi (Roma: De Luca, 1966), cat. no. 253, illus. unnumbered page.

"NCMA Paintings on Loan," North Carolina Museum of Art Calendar of Art Events 2, no. 1 (October 1967), mentioned and illus. (b-w) unnumbered page.

Michael Milkovich, Bernardo Strozzi: Paintings and Drawings (exhibition catalogue) (Binghamton, NY: University Art Gallery, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1967), cat. no. 21, illus.

Edgar Peters Bowron, ed., Introduction to the Collections (Chapel Hill: published for the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, by The University of North Carolina Press, 1983), illus. (b-w) 198.

John T. Spike, Baroque Portraiture in Italy: Works from North American Collections (exhibition catalogue) (Saratosa: The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 1984), cat. no. 54, illus. 212 (Appendix).

Introduction to the Collections, rev. ed. (Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, 1992), illus. (b-w) 184.

Luisa Mortari, Bernardo Strozzi, rev. ed. (Rome: 1995), 213

Rebecca Martin Nagy, entry for Portrait of a Gentleman, in North Carolina Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections, Rebecca Martin Nagy, ed. (Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, 1998), 135, illus. (color).

Rebecca Martin Nagy, entry for Portrait of a Gentleman, in North Carolina Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections, rev. ed. (Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, 2010), 286, illus. (color) 287.
Exhibition HistoryBinghamton, NY, State University of New York, "Bernardo Strozzi: Paintings and Drawings," (University Art Gallery Dedication Exhibition), October 8-November 5, 1967, cat. no. 21, illus.

Saratosa, FL, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, "Baroque Portraiture in Italy: Works from North American Collections," December 7, 1984-February 3, 1985; Hartford, CT, March 20-May 20, 1985, cat. no. 54, illus.

Object Rights Statement

The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) makes images of its collection available online to support research and scholarship and to inform and educate the public. Certain works of art, as well as the photographs of those works of art, may be protected by copyright, trademark, or related interests not owned by the NCMA. The responsibility for ascertaining whether any such rights exist and for obtaining all other necessary permissions remains with the applicant. To request images and/or permissions from the NCMA, please complete our online request form.