Artwork
Portrait of a Man with a Viola da Gamba
Portrait of a Man with a Viola da Gamba is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Francesco Beccaruzzi. It dates from 1534 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Technique & Style
The formal composition emphasizes a restrained palette and careful rendering of texture, characteristic of Beccaruzzi’s mature style.
The work is an oil painting on canvas measuring 875 cm in height and 625 cm in width, created in 1534. It portrays a man holding a viola da gamba, reflecting the subject’s engagement with music. The formal composition emphasizes a restrained palette and careful rendering of texture, characteristic of Beccaruzzi’s mature style.
The painting’s surface shows signs of aging, with subtle craquelure across the canvas, though the overall condition remains stable. No major losses or restorations have been recorded, and the work is presently housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s collection of Renaissance portraits.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1534 by Francesco Beccaruzzi, executed in oil on canvas. It is now held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is located. No further details about its commission, earlier ownership, or chain of custody are documented in the available sources.
Portrait of a Man with a Viola da Gamba is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, which is identified as the work's collection and location. The painting is catalogued in Wikidata as part of that national museum's holdings, with no separate accession number provided in the available sources.
The sources do not document any exhibition history for the work. No loans, displays, or curated shows are recorded, meaning the painting's public presentation beyond its inclusion in the Statens Museum for Kunst's collection cannot be substantiated from the materials provided.
Overview
Francesco Beccaruzzi, an Italian painter active in the early sixteenth century around Conegliano and Treviso, executed the oil painting Portrait of a Man with a Viola da Gamba in 1534. The work exemplifies the Mannerist tendency toward stylized representation and is presently part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents a bearded gentleman dressed in dark attire, his right hand supporting the neck of a tall, pear‑shaped viola da gamba while the left hand rests on its body. The solitary figure, isolated against a plain backdrop, suggests a focus on personal identity and the status associated with musical proficiency during the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Beccaruzzi (c. 1492–1562) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance era, active near his hometown of Conegliano and in the neighborhood of Treviso. He was influenced by both Il Pordenone and later Titian. He…
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