Portrait of a Young Man
Technical Details
-
Title
Portrait of a Young Man -
Author
Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio -
Year
c. 1491 -
Dimensions
cm 49 x 39 -
Inventory
2123 -
Room
XI
Leonardo joined Ludovico il Moro’s court in Milan in 1482, and Boltraffio was one of his pupils by 1490. Rubbing shoulders with the humanists, Boltraffio became known for his portraits, developing his master’s new approach by capturing his sitter’s psychology. This is one of his first portraits. The sitter’s face is marked by grey shadow, and light is handled with skill. Bottom right, we see the motto: “VITA SI SCIAS/ VTI/ LONGA EST” (Life is long if you know how to use it), taken from a dialogue by the Latin philosopher Seneca.