Artwork
Portrait of Charles the Bold
Portrait of Charles the Bold is an unspecified painting by the High Renaissance artist Sebastiano del Piombo. It dates from 1523 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject of the portrait is Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, depicted in a three-quarter view against a neutral background.
The subject of the portrait is Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, depicted in a three-quarter view against a neutral background. Sebastiano del Piombo’s rendering emphasizes the ruler’s dignified bearing and strong facial features, aligning with conventions for representing powerful individuals during the Renaissance.
The sitter’s attire and demeanor convey authority and status, while the sober setting focuses attention on his presence. The painting serves as a visual assertion of Charles’s identity and political standing, capturing the historical figure’s public image rather than exploring personal character.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of Charles the Bold is a painting executed by the Italian artist Sebastiano del Piombo. The work is dated to 1523, marking its creation during the early sixteenth century. It currently resides in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is held as a significant portrait depicting Charles the Bold.
No further details regarding the original commission, specific patron, or the chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.
Context
Sebastiano del Piombo painted Portrait of Charles the Bold in 1523, depicting the Burgundian duke as a study in princely authority. The work entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it remains on display. Scholars have examined its compositional balance and symbolic use of armor to interpret courtly identity in early sixteenth-century Europe.
Art historical surveys place the painting within del Piombo’s Venetian period, noting its technical mastery of oil medium and influence on court portraiture.
Overview
The Portrait of Charles the Bold is a High Renaissance painting created in 1523 by Sebastiano del Piombo, a painter trained in Venice and active in Rome. The work is now part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst.
Technique & Style
The painting employs chiaroscuro, a strong contrast between light and dark, to accentuate the subject's facial features against a dark background. This lighting technique, reminiscent of a spotlight, draws intense focus on Charles's serious expression.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sebastiano del Piombo (Italian:; c. 1485 – 21 June 1547) was an Italian painter of the High Renaissance and early Mannerist periods, famous as the only major artist of the period to combine the colouring of the Venetian…
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