Artwork
Portrait of an unknown man
Portrait of an unknown man is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Unknown. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. The work is an oil painting that depicts a solitary male figure.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1640 as an oil painting on panel, the portrait focuses exclusively on the individual without additional narrative elements or allegorical figures.
The work depicts a single male figure, identified simply as an unknown man. Created in 1640 as an oil painting on panel, the portrait focuses exclusively on the individual without additional narrative elements or allegorical figures. As a straightforward genre portrait, the piece lacks specific iconographic symbols or complex symbolic layers that would define a deeper narrative meaning beyond the representation of the sitter himself. The subject is presented directly, serving as a record of an unidentified male from the mid-seventeenth century.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1640, this portrait is an oil painting created on a wooden panel support. The work measures 17.2 cm in height and 12.3 cm in width, indicating a small-scale format typical of intimate portraiture from the period. The composition focuses exclusively on the depiction of a male subject, rendered through the application of oil paints.
The piece is classified as a painting within the portrait genre, characterized by its direct representation of the sitter.
History & Provenance
The work was created in 1640 as an oil paint portrait on panel, depicting an unidentified man. It entered the collection of Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz, later housed in the Bavarian State Painting Collections, and is currently displayed at the Alte Pinakothek.
The work is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections, specifically within the Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz collection at the Alte Pinakothek. Its accession number is not explicitly stated in the sources, but it is cataloged under the Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz collection. The painting was created in 1640 and has been displayed in exhibitions associated with the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
Overview
The work is an oil painting that depicts a solitary male figure. He is presented in a three‑quarter view, his head turned slightly toward the viewer’s right, and his arms are folded across his chest. Dressed in a white collared shirt beneath a dark overcoat, the sitter’s serious expression is set against a muted brown backdrop that isolates him from any surrounding context.
Artist & collection
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