Who painted Old Man and a Boy?

Old Man and a Boy was painted by Jacopo Tintoretto in 1565-01-01.

Where can I see Old Man and a Boy?

Old Man and a Boy is held by Kunsthistorisches Museum.

What movement is Old Man and a Boy?

Old Man and a Boy is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

Old Man and a Boy

Jacopo Tintoretto , 1565

Old Man and a Boy is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Jacopo Tintoretto. It dates from 1565 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The canvas is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, having passed through the holdings of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria.

Old Man and a Boy is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for Venetian portraiture of the mid-Cinquecento. The painting measures 103 cm in height by 83 cm in width, a modest upright format suited to a half-length or seated two-figure composition. The work is classified as a portrait, with the canvas depicting an old man, a boy, and a chair.

The handling and stylistic character of the picture are consistent with Jacopo Tintoretto's manner of the period, marked by rapid, gestural brushwork, dramatic tonal contrasts, and a sober, psychologically charged presentation of the sitters. The canvas is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, having passed through the holdings of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria.

History & Provenance

Jacopo Tintoretto created the oil painting Old Man and a Boy in 1565. The work is executed in oil on canvas and measures 103 cm in height by 83 cm in width. Historical records indicate that Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria owned the painting prior to its acquisition by the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains part of the collection today.

The painting Old Man and a Boy is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. It entered the museum's collection through the bequest of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, who previously owned the work. The work is catalogued under the inventory number 2001/999 and has been part of the museum's permanent display since its acquisition.

Overview

Created in 1565, this oil painting by Jacopo Tintoretto presents a seated elderly man beside a younger boy. Executed within the Venetian Mannerist tradition, the work exemplifies the artist’s preference for muscular forms and a composition that emphasizes movement and tension. The canvas now belongs to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Subject & Meaning

The central figures consist of an aged man with a flowing white beard, dressed in dark attire, and a youth in more elaborate clothing. Their juxtaposition suggests a generational relationship, perhaps paternal or instructional, while the subdued background focuses attention on the interaction between the two, highlighted by the side lighting that defines their expressions.

Artist & collection

Artist

Jacopo Tintoretto

Jacopo Robusti (late September or early October 1518 – 31 May 1594), best known as Tintoretto ( TIN-tə-RET-oh; Italian:; Venetian: ), was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school.