Portrait of a Man
Medium
Oil on card with gessoed back
Dimensions
Oval, 2 5/8 x 2 1/4 in. (67 x 56 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Millie Bruhl Fredrick, 1962
Accession Number
62.122.23
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Portrait of a Man*, to the monogramm FS—possibly the Polish artist Franciszek Sadecki—dates to around 1650. Crafted as a miniature oval painting measuring just 2⅝ × 2¼ inches, it exemplifies the intimate portraiture popular in 17th-century Europe during Baroque era. Such tiny works were often commissioned by the nobility or affluent merchants for personal keepsakes, like lockets, rings, or private displays, capturing the sitter's likeness with remarkable detail and immediacy. Painted in oil on card with a gessoed back, this piece highlights innovative techniques for miniatures...