Who painted Portrait of a Young Man?

Portrait of a Young Man was painted by Santi di Tito in 1569.

Where can I see Portrait of a Young Man?

Portrait of a Young Man is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Portrait of a Young Man?

Portrait of a Young Man is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

Portrait of a Young Man

Santi di Tito , 1569

Portrait of a Young Man is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Santi di Tito. It dates from 1569 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Created in 1569, this oil painting presents a solitary young man rendered in close‑up.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts an unidentified man, presented in a straightforward manner consistent with the portrait genre.

The work depicts an unidentified man, presented in a straightforward manner consistent with the portrait genre. Created by Santi di Tito in 1569, the painting offers a direct representation of a male subject without explicit narrative elements or complex allegorical figures. The composition focuses on the individual's likeness rather than embedding specific symbolic objects or iconographic codes that would suggest a deeper moral or religious meaning beyond the act of portraiture itself. The subject is rendered in oil on canvas, emphasizing his physical presence within the frame.

Technique & Style

Created in 1569, the Portrait of a Young Man by Santi di Tito is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 60 cm in height and 45.4 cm in width, classifying it as a portrait within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek. As a Mannerist work from the late 16th century, the painting depicts a male subject, adhering to the genre conventions of the period through its specific material application and scale.

History & Provenance

The painting entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections (Alte Pinakothek, Munich) by 1912, when it was inventoried as part of the state holdings. It is dated 1569 by the artist, Santi di Tito, as indicated by the inscribed date on the work. No record of a private commission survives, and the earliest documented location is the Munich collection, where it has remained since at least the early twentieth century.

Portrait of a Young Man is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Its inventory number is 2877. The work was displayed in the exhibition "Santi di Tito: The Florentine Painter of the Late Renaissance" at the Alte Pinakothek in 2018.

Overview

Created in 1569, this oil painting presents a solitary young man rendered in close‑up. The figure occupies the central space, set against a uniform dark background that eliminates any distraction. The work exemplifies the transitional period between late Mannerism and the emerging proto‑Baroque style, reflecting the artist’s engagement with evolving aesthetic ideals.

Portrait of a young man, Adriaen Thomasz. Key

Artist & collection

Artist

Santi di Tito

Santi di Tito (5 December 1536 – 25 July 1603) was one of the most influential and leading Italian painters of the proto-Baroque style – what is sometimes referred to as "Counter-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism.