Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On short term loan out for exhibition

Portrait of a Youth

Drawing
1540s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

It was once thought to be a study for the Portrait of the Duke of Urbino - “School of Athens”; The face in full view, and turned a little to the right, the hair short, and the coat fitting close to the throat, with a small upright collar; Highly finished in black chalk, on prepared paper. Pasted to a watermarked board.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitlePortrait of a Youth (published title)
Materials and techniques
Black chalk, on prepared paper
Brief description
Francesco Salviati; Portrait of a Youth; The face in full view, turned a little to the right, the hair short, and the coat fitting close to the throat, with a small upright collar; Black chalk, on prepared paper; Italian; 1540s.
Physical description
It was once thought to be a study for the Portrait of the Duke of Urbino - “School of Athens”; The face in full view, and turned a little to the right, the hair short, and the coat fitting close to the throat, with a small upright collar; Highly finished in black chalk, on prepared paper. Pasted to a watermarked board.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 280mm
  • Image width: 217mm
  • Board height: 331mm
  • Board width: 268mm
10.8 x 8.4 inches: Original measurements converted from fractional inches into decimal inches (rounded to one decimal place). Dimensions taken from: DYCE COLLECTION. A Catalogue of the Paintings, Miniatures, Drawings, Engravings, Rings and Miscellaneous Objects Bequeathed by The Reverend Alexander Dyce. London : South Kensington Museum, 1874. Half Imperial portrait mount.
Style
Credit line
Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce
Object history
Collections - Medici and Jonathan Richardson.

In the collection of Prince Liechtenstein, of Vienna, there was a portrait in oil of the Duke Guidobaldo, of Urbino, attributed to Raffaello, which is now missing; a photograph, however from it is to be found in the Raffaello Collection at Windsor.
Historical context
The attribution of Dyce. 186 to Salviati was first made by Tancred Borenius in 1921 (see V&A exh. cat.: Henry Reitlinger, A Selection of Drawings by Old Masters in the Museum Collections, HMSO 1921, cat.no. 12, pp.9-10). Borenius probably made the attribution because he was familiar with the half-length drawings of boys in Chatsworth (cf Michael Jaffe, The Devonshire Collection. Tuscan and Umbrian Schools, London 1994, cat. nos. 63, 64, p. 94) which had long been attributed to Salviati (at least since Henry Reveley, who died in 1798 - his “Notices” were published in 1820). Albeit in red chalk, their technique looks very similar to Dyce. 186. The most striking similarities are the latter’s heavily lidded, prominent eyes, sideways glance and the drawing of the eyebrows, pursed lips and the profile of their chins, all of which closely resemble Dyce.186. It is possible that the Chatsworth ‘boy with a round cap, against a curtain (Jaffe 64) depicts the same sitter as that in Dyce. 186.

The possible provenance from Jonathan Richardson is pertinent, on account of his role in the formation of the Devonshire collection.
Subject depicted
Bibliographic references
  • DYCE COLLECTION. A Catalogue of the Paintings, Miniatures, Drawings, Engravings, Rings and Miscellaneous Objects Bequeathed by The Reverend Alexander Dyce. London : South Kensington Museum, 1874.
  • Lambert, Susan. Drawing: Technique & Purpose. London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1981. p.49.
  • Peter Ward-Jackson, Italian Drawings in the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Vol. 1, London:1979, Cat.280, pp.279-283, illus
Collection
Accession number
DYCE.186

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdSeptember 10, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest