Artwork
Portrait of a Man with Gloves
Portrait of a Man with Gloves is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Corneille de Lyon. It dates from 1535 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
It is a conventional Renaissance portrait that presents the figure in three-quarter view, emphasizing his status through attire and the inclusion of gloves.
The painting, titled Portrait of a Man with Gloves, depicts a male sitter rendered in oil on panel in 1535 by Corneille de Lyon. It is a conventional Renaissance portrait that presents the figure in three-quarter view, emphasizing his status through attire and the inclusion of gloves. The work is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Measuring 21.3 cm by 16.5 cm, the work belongs to the portrait genre.
Technique & Style
Portrait of a Man with Gloves is an oil painting on wood panel, created in 1535 by Corneille de Lyon. The work measures approximately 21.3 cm in height and 16.5 cm in width, a size typical of early Netherlandish portraiture. The painting is classified as a portrait and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Its formal qualities include a half-length figure rendered with fine attention to texture, particularly the gloves, and a restrained palette that emphasizes realistic modeling of flesh and fabric. The work has been included in the exhibition "Francis I and the art of the Netherlands."
History & Provenance
Created in 1535, Portrait of a Man with Gloves was executed in oil on panel by Corneille de Lyon. The work depicts a man and is classified within the genre of portraiture. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The painting was included in the exhibition "Francis I and the art of the Netherlands," which highlighted the artist's connection to the French king's patronage.
Context
Portrait of a Man with Gloves (1535) by Corneille de Lyon is an oil painting on panel measuring 21.3 × 16.5 cm, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its inclusion in the exhibition "Francis I and the art of the Netherlands" underscores its relevance to studies of early French court portraiture and the artistic milieu of the mid-16th century. The work's classification as a portrait and its exhibition history provide a factual anchor for understanding Corneille de Lyon's contribution to Renaissance portrait conventions and the broader discourse on elite representation in Northern European art.
Overview
Portrait of a Man with Gloves, executed in 1535 by Corneille de Lyon, is a quintessential example of the artist's small-scale panel portraits produced during his tenure in Lyon, France. The work depicts an unidentified male sitter in a three-quarter view against a stark, dark background, a compositional choice that isolates the figure and emphasizes his facial features and attire. The subject wears a dark, fur-trimmed coat and a matching cap, typical of mid-sixteenth-century French bourgeois fashion.
His right hand holds a pair of gloves, while his left hand rests gently atop them, a gesture that conveys both status and a moment of pause. Painted in oil, the surface exhibits the smooth, enamel-like finish characteristic of de Lyon's technique, which often involved thin layers of paint to achieve subtle tonal transitions and a refined texture. This work reflects the artist's adaptation of Northern Renaissance realism to the French courtly context, bridging the styles of the Dutch and French Renaissance.
As one of many similar portraits attributed to the artist, it illustrates his prolific output and his role in defining the visual culture of the French Renaissance elite.
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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.
