Who painted Portrait of a Man in a Cape?

Portrait of a Man in a Cape was painted by Lambert Sustris in 1560-01-01.

Where can I see Portrait of a Man in a Cape?

Portrait of a Man in a Cape is held by Kunsthistorisches Museum.

What movement is Portrait of a Man in a Cape?

Portrait of a Man in a Cape is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

Portrait of a Man in a Cape

Lambert Sustris , 1560

Portrait of a Man in a Cape is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Lambert Sustris. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The application of oil paint on a woven support reflects the standard materials employed for portraiture during the mid-sixteenth century.

Executed in 1560, this portrait by Lambert Sustris is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 103 cm in height and 84 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition focuses on a male figure distinguished by the inclusion of a beret and a cape, which serve as key identifying attributes within the genre.

The application of oil paint on a woven support reflects the standard materials employed for portraiture during the mid-sixteenth century.

History & Provenance

The Portrait of a Man in a Cape was created by Lambert Sustris in 1560. Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 103 cm in height and 84 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the painting was once part of the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria. It subsequently entered the holdings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains today.

Portrait of a Man in a Cape is an oil paint portrait by Lambert Sustris dated 1560. It measures 103 cm by 84 cm and is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna under inventory number 2011/986. The work entered the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria before being accessioned by the museum.

It has been exhibited in the museum’s permanent display of 16th‑century portraiture and featured in the 2015 exhibition "Renaissance Portraits from the Austrian Imperial Collection".

Context

Portrait of a Man in a Cape (1560) is an oil on canvas portrait attributed to Lambert Sustris, reflecting his role within the Northern Renaissance tradition of courtly portraiture. The painting’s depiction of a man in a cape and beret aligns with contemporary Venetian-influenced portrait conventions, situating it within Sustris’s broader oeuvre of aristocratic subjects rendered with naturalistic detail and rich coloration. Its provenance through Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria underscores its historical significance within Habsburg collections, linking the work to 16th-century European elite cultural networks and the transmission of artistic taste across Central Europe.

Overview

Created in 1560, the oil painting Portrait of a Man in a Cape is attributed to Lambert Sustris, a Dutch artist who worked in Venice. The work exemplifies the Mannerist style that was prevalent in mid‑sixteenth‑century Italy. It is part of the permanent holdings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Subject & Meaning

The canvas presents a bearded gentleman dressed in a dark cape and a beret, his gaze directed outward with a solemn expression. He holds a dark, undefined object in his right hand, a compositional choice that adds a sense of dignity and introspection to the figure.

Bildnis eines Mannes mit Barett und Handschuhen

Artist & collection

Artist

Lambert Sustris

Lambert Sustris (c. 1515/1520 – c. 1584) was a Dutch painter active mainly in Venice. The works Sustris completed in Italy exhibit either a Mannerist style or qualities that may be deemed proto-Baroque. He is also…