Florentine School, late 16th Century

Portrait of a gentleman in black, holding a medallion

Lot Closed

October 22, 02:56 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Property from a Private Collection

Florentine School, late 16th Century

Portrait of a gentleman in black, holding a medallion

oil on panel

panel: 34½ by 28½ in.; 87.6 by 72.4 cm.

framed: 40¼ by 34½ in.; 102.2 by 87.6 cm.

Lewis J. Ruskin, Scottsdale, AZ, by 1958;
Thence by descent until sold, New York, Sotheby's Arcade, 24 April 1995, lot 42;
There acquired.

Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, Mostra Nazionale Antiquaria, no. 414 (according to a label on the reverse).

The handsome, fashionable sitter of this portrait wanted to display not only his wealth but also his erudition: the ancient coin or medallion he holds indicates that he is knowledgeable of classical history and art. Associations such as this were popular in portraiture, as sixteenth-century Florentines likened themselves to members of the ancient Roman Republic.