Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 62A, Discover the Renaissance World

Portrait of a Youth

Relief
ca. 1475-1500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The profile portrait, inspired by ancient Roman models, often appears in Italian Renaissance art. It might show a famous Roman ruler or statesman – Julius Caesar or Cicero for example – or a realistic or idealised image of a contemporary figure such as this beautifully carved, but unidentified, young man.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePortrait of a Youth (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved marble
Brief description
Panel Relief, marble, 'Portrait of a Young Man', in the style of Matteo Civitali, Italy, 1475-1500
Physical description
Relief in marble with the sitter represented in profile facing to the left. The portrait terminates at the base below the shoulder. The edges at top and bottom are irregular.
Dimensions
  • Height: 25.4cm
  • Depth: 2.2cm
  • At the top width: 17.5cm
  • At the bottom width: 17cm
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Style
Gallery label
Object Label in Gallery 19 [transcribed 18 August 2006] Portrait of a Youth Marble Style of Matteo Civitali (b.1436; d.1501) Lucchese; second half of the fifteenth century 7626-1861 The relief does not appear to have constituted a independent portrait and may have been excised from a predella panel, such as that of Civitali's Altar of St Regulus in the Duomo, Lucca.(pre August 2006)
Object history
Pope-Hennessy (Vol I, p278-279) argued that it was unlikely this relief was made as an independent portrait, because of the position of the relief on its ground, and the condition of the edges. He noted that similar reliefs appear at the end of the predella of Civitali's Altar of St Regulus in the Duomo in Lucca and that therefore there was a presumption that this relief was made for the same purpose, perhaps in the workshop of Civitali.
Historical context
Matteo Civitali was born in 1436 and died in 1501. The relationship between this relief and Civitali's workshop is tentative.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The profile portrait, inspired by ancient Roman models, often appears in Italian Renaissance art. It might show a famous Roman ruler or statesman – Julius Caesar or Cicero for example – or a realistic or idealised image of a contemporary figure such as this beautifully carved, but unidentified, young man.
Bibliographic references
  • John Pope-Hennessy, Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, HMSO, 1964), Vol I, Cat No. 291, p278-279
  • John Pope-Hennessy, Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London, HMSO, 1964), Vol III, Figure 294
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1861 In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 30
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. Text. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1932, p. 110
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume I: Text. Eighth to Fifteenth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, pp. 278, 279
  • Theuerkauff, C. Die Bildwerke in Elfenbein des 16. - 19. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, 1986, p. 377, note2.
Collection
Accession number
7626-1861

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Record createdAugust 18, 2006
Record URL
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