Artwork
Agostino Barbarigo
Agostino Barbarigo is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Follower of Veronese. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting, titled Agostino Barbarigo, is an oil on canvas portrait dated to 1530 by an unknown artist associated with the Veronese school.
The painting, titled Agostino Barbarigo, is an oil on canvas portrait dated to 1530 by an unknown artist associated with the Veronese school. As a portrait, its subject is the sitter’s likeness, meant to capture his appearance and convey his status. The work lacks overt narrative or symbolic motifs; its meaning resides in the direct representation of the individual, consistent with the conventions of sixteenth‑century portraiture.
The canvas measures approximately 102.8 cm high by 102.4 cm wide and is held in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
History & Provenance
Created in 1530, the oil-on-canvas portrait of Agostino Barbarigo was attributed to an anonymous artist associated with Veronese. The work's documented ownership begins with Henry Doetsch of London, whose estate sale at Christie, Manson & Woods in June 1895 included the painting, then described as a work by Tintoretto. Following this auction, the piece was acquired by David L. Einstein of London and subsequently passed to his son, Lewis D. Einstein.
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., received the painting as a gift from Lewis D. Einstein in 1957.
The portrait of Agostino Barbarigo is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum's holdings in 1957 as a gift from Lewis D. Einstein, who had inherited it from his father, David L. Einstein. Prior to the Einstein family's ownership, the painting was sold at the estate auction of Henry Doetsch in London in June 1895, where it was attributed to Tintoretto.
No specific exhibition history or inventory accession number for the work is provided in the available records.
Overview
This oil on canvas painting, titled Agostino Barbarigo, presents a focused portrait of a man seated within a modest interior. The subject, dressed in period attire, occupies the central space, his serious demeanor drawing the viewer's attention. A few carefully rendered objects rest on a table nearby, contributing to the scene's quiet atmosphere. The composition emphasizes the individual, captured with a sense of directness.
Technique & Style
The artist employed oil on canvas to achieve a high degree of realism in this portrait. Meticulous detail is evident in the rendering of the subject's clothing and the various items placed on the table, contributing to a tangible sense of presence. The dramatic interplay of light and shadow, known as chiaroscuro, further enhances the three-dimensionality and intensity of the scene, defining forms and creating depth.
Artist & collection
Artist
