Portrait of a Man, Possibly Girolamo Rosati
1534
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1534
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a man in a dark coat sitting in a room. His right hand rests on a folded letter. A sprig of green clover and a white jasmine flower sit on the table beside him. A trellis of pink roses hangs behind his shoulder. The artist packed this quiet portrait with symbols. The clover means good luck and happy marriages. The jasmine stands for purity and love. The letter may hint at a message or a vow. Look closer at the hand’s strange gesture—is he speaking or pointing? Check out the same artist’s work at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
