Portrait of a Youth
Relief
ca. 1475-1500 (made)
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 | |
Title | Portrait 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 |
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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 |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 7626-1861 |
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Record created | August 18, 2006 |
Record URL |
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