Portrait of a Young Manc. 1530 · Study 1916.803

Context from the museum

Like other paintings from the Dossi workshop, this work conveys the sitter's social status and self-confidence. He holds a crumpled letter written in Italian. The words Asto , meaning "ship mast," and mare , meaning "sea," suggest that trade was a topic of this letter. References to anatomy and the word bella imply a discussion of the magnificence of human anatomy, an interest that spread rapidly during the Renaissance. The letter likewise communicates the young man's considerable education. This work was formerly called Portrait of Giuliano de Medici ; however, the sitter's lack of resemblance to Giuliano caused art historians to discount this argument. Portrait of a Young Man was earlier attributed to Dosso's brother, Battista, before recently being considered a work by Dosso or a member of his workshop. As first suggested by Roberto Longhi, Portrait of a Young Man is now considered likely to be a work of an unidentified follower of Dossi from Friuli, Italy. The Friulian follower worked from 1510 until after 1530 and had connections to Dossi's hometown of Ferrara, accounting for this work's resemblance to Dossi's style. The dark outlines and large forms of the work are of a later style than Dossi's, suggesting that the artist was a follower rather than Dossi himself.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Portrait of a Young Man is 77.5 cm wide and 97.2 cm high, equivalent to approximately 30.5 × 38.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.80:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.75 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 25.8% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 111.3 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Portrait of a Young Man in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil and gold on wood, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 77.5 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?