Artwork
Ein Juwelier mit einer Dame
Ein Juwelier mit einer Dame is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Paris Bordone. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1550, this oil on panel work by Paris Bordone portrays a jeweler offering a ring to a seated lady. Executed in the Mannerist idiom, the painting is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in Munich and reflects the artist’s Venetian training under Titian.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a man in a dark, high‑collared shirt and a woman in a dark dress with a pale sleeve, positioned side by side. The jeweler holds a ring toward the lady, while a small hourglass, coins and a string of beads rest on the table between them, suggesting a moment of negotiation or betrothal.
Technique & Style
Bordone employs strong chiaroscuro, allowing the illuminated faces to emerge from a muted background. The handling of light and shadow creates a three‑dimensional effect, while the elongated forms and intricate details reveal the Mannerist tendency toward elegance and artificiality.
History & Provenance
After its creation in the mid‑16th century, the painting entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it remains on display. Its provenance prior to acquisition by the museum is not extensively documented.
Context
Bordone’s work bridges the naturalistic approach of his master Titian with the heightened complexity of Mannerism, a style that favored sophisticated compositions and stylized figures. The painting exemplifies the blend of Venetian colorism and the more provincial vigor found in northern Italian art of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paris Bordone (Paris Paschalinus Bordone; 5 July 1500 – 19 January 1571) was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of Mannerist complexity and provincial vigor.
