16th Century
Portrait of a Merchant

Sanguine on laid paper
Image size: 12 ¾ x 16 inches (32 x 40.5 cm)
Wash mount and period frame

This red chalk drawing on light brown paper, clearly shows the careful hatching and crosshatching in red chalk by the artist.

The unknown sitter is physically present, even from side profile. The hat and jacket give a sense of wealth but not extravagance.

The hat the man is wearing is of a type that one sees in portraits by Bartolomeo Passarotti and other contemporaries.

The man’s pronounced nose, facial hair, and angular features are captured with an immediacy. The heavy eye lids and posture give him an air of authority.