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Portrait of a Man

ca. 1481–82
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 602

While Rosselli made a habit of inserting the likenesses of his contemporaries into his religious paintings, this is a rare example of an independent portrait. The sitter’s clothing suggests he was a member of the Florentine nobility, possibly even one of the priori, members of government whose uniform was a crimson coat lined with ermine fur. The sitter places his hand on the edge of the frame; Rosselli likely adapted this motif from the Netherlandish portraits of Hans Memling, whose works were commissioned by Italian patrons and exported from Bruges thanks to a well-developed international art market.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of a Man
  • Artist: Cosimo Rosselli (Italian, Florence 1440–1507 Florence)
  • Date: ca. 1481–82
  • Medium: Tempera on wood
  • Dimensions: 20 3/8 x 13 in. (51.8 x 33 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Edward S. Harkness, 1940
  • Object Number: 50.135.1
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist, Cosimo Rosselli Italian, Tempera, oil, and gold on wood
Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist
Cosimo Rosselli
ca. 1490
Madonna and Child with Two Angels, Cosimo Rosselli Italian, Tempera and gold on wood
Madonna and Child with Two Angels
Cosimo Rosselli
early 1480s
Francesco Sassetti (1421–1490) and His Son Teodoro, Domenico Ghirlandaio (Domenico Bigordi) Italian, Tempera on wood
Francesco Sassetti (1421–1490) and His Son Teodoro
Domenico Ghirlandaio (Domenico Bigordi)
ca. 1488
The Flight into Egypt, Cosmè Tura (Cosimo di Domenico di Bonaventura) Italian, Tempera on wood
The Flight into Egypt
Cosmè Tura (Cosimo di Domenico di Bonaventura)
1470s
Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius, Botticelli (Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi) Italian, Tempera on wood
Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius
Botticelli (Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi)
ca. 1500

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