Portrait of a Humanist
c. 1520
Medium
oil on panel transferred to hardboard
Dimensions
overall: 134.7 x 101 x 3.5 cm (53 1/16 x 39 3/4 x 1 3/8 in.) framed: 171.8 x 139.4 x 10.2 cm (67 5/8 x 54 7/8 x 4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CIS-R
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1961.9.38
Art Historical Context
Step into the contemplative world of *Portrait of a Humanist by Sebastiano del Pi, created around 1520. This striking oil painting on panel—later transferred to hardboard for preservationmeasures an impressive 134.7 x 101 cm, capturing the essence of Renaissance individualism. Sebastiano, a Venetian master influenced by Giorgione and Titian, relocated to Rome by this time, blending the lush colorito of Venice with the sculptural clarity of Michelangelo, whose friendship shaped his later works. The portrait likely depicts an erudite scholar, emblematic of the humanist movement that celebrated i...