Portrait of a Man: Francesco Albani ?
1599–1661
Medium
Red and black chalk
Dimensions
3 3/4 x 2 3/4in. (9.5 x 7cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 1978
Accession Number
1978.276
Tags
Art Historical Context
This intimate portrait drawing, tentatively identified as depicting the fellow artist Francesco Albani, captures the keen observation of Andrea Sacchi (1599–1661), a leading Roman Baroque painter known for his classical restraint and elegant compositions. Created during Sacchi's active career in early 17th-century Rome where he rivaled the more flamboyant style of Pietro da Cortona, the work exemplifies his skill in preparatory studies that bridged painting and sculpture-like form. Executed in red and black chalk on a modest scale of just 3¾ x 2¾ inches, the medium allows for subtle tonal mod...
About the Artist
Andrea Sacchi · 1599–1661
Son and pupil of Benedetto Sacchi. He then worked with Francesco Albano and studied Raphael, Polidoro da Caravaggio and the artists of antiquity. He later trained numerous pupils, most notably Lauri, Gazzi and Carlo Maratti. Comment on works: Portrait; History