Artwork
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo da Empoli. It dates from 1603 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Rendered in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the genre of portraiture, situating the sitter as the central focus of the composition.
The painting depicts a man, as indicated by both its title and its documented main subject. Rendered in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the genre of portraiture, situating the sitter as the central focus of the composition. The title alone, Portrait of a Man, frames the image as an individualized likeness rather than a symbolic or allegorical scene, suggesting an emphasis on personal identity and presence rather than narrative content.
Because the available records describe the subject simply as "man" without naming a specific individual, occupation, or historical figure, the portrait's meaning is rooted in the act of representation itself: presenting a single human sitter for recognition and remembrance. No additional iconographic attributes, attributes, or symbolic objects are documented in the sources, so the work reads as a straightforward character study typical of early seventeenth-century Italian portrait practice.
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in oil on canvas, a common support for early‑17th‑century Italian portraiture. The painting measures 700 cm in height and 585 cm in width, reflecting the modest scale typical of studio‑produced portraits of the period. The composition employs a restrained chiaroscuro and a naturalistic rendering of facial features, emphasizing the sitter’s individuality rather than idealized grandeur.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Man was created by Jacopo da Empoli in 1603, executed in oil paint on canvas. The painting entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is currently held. No further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or chain of custody prior to its acquisition by the Danish national gallery are documented in the available sources.
The Portrait of a Man by Jacopo da Empoli is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created in 1603, this oil on canvas work depicts a male subject and remains part of the museum's permanent holdings. The painting measures 700 cm in height and 585 cm in width.
No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records, nor is there any documented exhibition history for this work within the provided sources.
Overview
Jacopo da Empoli’s oil portrait, dated 1603, presents an unnamed gentleman in a restrained composition. The figure occupies the central space, his hands folded before him, set against a dark, unadorned backdrop that isolates his visage. The work resides in the collection of Denmark’s National Gallery of Denmark, where it is displayed among the museum’s early‑modern holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo da Empoli, also known as Jacopo Chimenti, was an Italian Florentine Reformist painter.
