Artwork
Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto
Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Titian. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1550, the work functions as a formal portrait focused on representing the specific individual rather than employing complex allegorical symbolism.
This oil painting on canvas depicts Filippo Archinto, who is identified as a cardinal. Created in 1550, the work functions as a formal portrait focused on representing the specific individual rather than employing complex allegorical symbolism. The image serves as a direct likeness of Archinto, capturing his status and identity at the time of its inception. As a genre portrait, its primary meaning lies in the commemoration and visual documentation of the sitter.
Technique & Style
Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto is executed in oil paint on canvas, a medium Titian handled with characteristic fluency. The support measures 118.1 cm in height by 94 cm in width, providing a substantial vertical format suited to a half-length ecclesiastical portrait. The work is classified as a painting within the portrait genre, produced in 1550.
Beyond these material and dimensional facts, the available sources do not detail specific handling, surface condition, or stylistic analysis.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto was executed by Titian in 1550 as an oil on canvas portrait. It represents the cardinal Filippo Archinto, a prominent figure of the mid‑sixteenth century. The painting measures 118.1 cm in height and 94 cm in width.
Following its creation, the portrait entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains on display. Historical records indicate that philanthropist Benjamin Altman later owned the work before its acquisition by the museum.
The Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The painting, created by Titian in 1550, is executed in oil on canvas. Its provenance traces to Benjamin Altman, who owned the work before it entered the museum's holdings.
While the specific inventory or accession number is not detailed in the provided sources, the artwork remains a permanent part of the museum's portrait collection.
Overview
Titian's Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto, painted around 1550, exemplifies the High Renaissance master's skill in capturing individual likeness. This oil painting depicts the Venetian cardinal, showcasing the formal conventions of mid-16th-century portraiture. As a leading figure of Venetian art, Titian was renowned for his diverse output, including religious and mythological subjects, and his innovative use of color profoundly influenced subsequent generations of painters. The work is now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Context
Titian, or Tiziano Vecellio, was a preeminent artist of the Venetian High Renaissance, whose artistic innovations extended beyond portraiture to encompass religious and mythological narratives. His sophisticated application of color and light profoundly shaped the trajectory of European painting. This portrait, created during the zenith of his career, reflects the artistic environment where individual patrons sought to immortalize their image through the hands of the most celebrated artists of the age.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Tiziano Vecellio (Italian:; c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( TISH-ən), was an Italian Renaissance painter. The most important artist of Renaissance Venetian…
