Artwork
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Corneille de Lyon. It dates from 1545 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Its iconography follows typical Renaissance portrait conventions, presenting the figure in sober attire that signals social standing and humanist ideals.
The work titled Portrait of a Man, painted by Corneille de Lyon in 1545, depicts an unidentified male sitter rendered in oil on panel. Its iconography follows typical Renaissance portrait conventions, presenting the figure in sober attire that signals social standing and humanist ideals. Symbolically, the portrait functions as a record of elite identity and reflects the growing importance of individual likeness in 16th-century French art.
The painting's meaning is tied to its role as a status marker and as an exemplar of the portrait genre within the corpus of Corneille de Lyon's output.
Technique & Style
The Portrait of a Man, dated 1545, is an oil painting on a wooden panel created by Corneille de Lyon. The work, classified as a painting and belonging to the portrait genre, depicts a solitary male sitter. It is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession number 1982.60.41, where the medium is recorded as oil paint and the support as panel.
History & Provenance
Created in 1545, this oil painting on panel is attributed to Corneille de Lyon. The work, which depicts an unidentified man, entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1982 under accession number 1982.60.41. While the specific circumstances of its original commission and the identity of the sitter remain unrecorded in the available documentation, the piece is firmly classified as a mid-16th-century portrait, and the attribution to Corneille de Lyon and the dating to 1545 are consistently recognized in museum records. No exhibition history beyond its presence in the museum's collection is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Painted in 1545 by Corneille de Lyon, this oil portrait depicts an unidentified man in a circular format, a distinctive choice for the artist's workshop. The sitter, characterized by a dark beard and mustache, wears a black hat and a dark garment with a high collar, set against a muted greenish background. His expression is serious, with a direct gaze that engages the viewer.
Corneille de Lyon, active in France despite his Dutch origins, is renowned for these small-scale, intimate portraits executed with smooth brushwork and a refined palette. This work exemplifies his mature style, where psychological presence is achieved through subtle modeling of the face rather than elaborate detail in clothing or setting. The painting reflects the influence of the French Renaissance court, where such portraits served as personal tokens of status and identity.
The circular composition, or tondo, focuses attention entirely on the sitter's visage, a technique Corneille employed to create a sense of immediacy and intimacy. This piece stands as a representative example of his contribution to 16th-century portraiture, bridging Northern European precision with French courtly elegance.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Corneille de Lyon was a Dutch painter of portraits who was active in Lyon, France, from 1533 until his death. In France and the Netherlands he is also still known as Corneille de La Haye after his birthplace, The Hague.
- Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man
Bildnis eines bärtigen Mannes
Portrait of a Bearded Man
Bildnis eines Mannes mit dunkelblondem Vollbart
Portrait of a Gentleman aged 27
Portrait of Willem van Lokhorst (1514-64)
Portrait of a Gentleman aged 27
Portrait of a Man with Gloves
René de Batarnay, Comte du Bouchage