Portrait of Diego de Guevara (?)
Shown from the chest up, a clean-shaven, pale-skinned man holds one hand to his chest and rests the other on a rug-covered ledge with the other in this vertical portrait painting. The man’s body is angled to our left, and he looks down in that direction with dark eyes under thick brows. Crow’s feet crinkle at the corners of his eyes, and there are dark hollows underneath. Soft jowls hang to create a slight double chin. His thin lips are set in a line over a wide, round chin, which is darkened with a five o’clock shadow. He has chin-length, reddish-blond hair, and straight, wispy bangs sweep loosely across his high forehead. He wears a white chemise under a gold, brocade garment, which is mostly hidden by a slate-blue cloak. The cloak is lined with spotted fur, which is turned over to create a wide collar across his shoulders. The sleeve on his left arm, to our right and closer to us, splits over a dusky-pink sleeve. Two gold buttons on the cloak there are decorated with thistle plants and blossoms. The fingers of his right hand, to our left, are gathered like a closed rose bud at his chest. He wears a gold ring on the index finger of the other hand, which rests on the end of the gray stone ledge so his fingertips brush the tapestry draped there. The man is lit from our left against a black background.
Details
- Palette
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- Medium
- oil on panel
- Dimensions
- overall: 33.6 x 23.7 cm (13 1/4 x 9 5/16 in.) framed: 54.9 x 46.3 cm (21 5/8 x 18 1/4 in.)
- Department
- CNE-R
- Holding institution
- National Gallery of Art
- Image provider
- national-gallery-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Art Genome Taxonomy
6 tags
Subject Matter
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Individual Portrait Visual · 99%
A single male sitter occupies the panel in a close, three-quarter portrait with his face, torso, and hands prominently shown.
Visual Qualities
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Dark Colors Visual · 96%
A nearly black background and deep blue, brown, and gray clothing surround the more brightly illuminated face, hands, and fur.
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Highly Detailed Visual · 97%
The image visibly differentiates individual strands of hair, fur markings, woven and embroidered textiles, skin, buttons, and the patterned ledge.
Medium and Techniques
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Painting Metadata · 99%
The National Gallery of Art classifies the work as a painting in oil on panel.
Time Periods
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16th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to c. 1515/1518, placing it within the sixteenth century.
Materials
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Wood Metadata · 99%
The catalog specifies oil on panel; the panel is a wooden support.
Source & rights
Michel Sittow. Portrait of Diego de Guevara (?). Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.