Portrait of a gentleman
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Relief: wax; frame: glass, gilt and black wood
Dimensions
Diameter (sight): 2 3/4 in. (7 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Miniature
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.463
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Portrait of a Gentleman*, crafted by an unknown Italian artist in the 16th century captures the refined likeness of a Renaissance-era man in a remarkably intimate miniature relief. Measuring just 2 3/4 inches (7 cm) in diameter it exemplifies the era's fascination with small-scale portraiture, perfect for personal devotion, jewelry pendants, or private display. The use of wax as a medium allowed for exceptional realism—its soft, malleable quality enabled intricate modeling of facial features, textures, and subtle expressions, rivaling the detail of larger paintings or sculpture...