Minneapolis Institute of Art

Portrait of an Ecclesiastic

Giovanni Battista Moroni

Date

c. 1557

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This Renaissance portrait is exceptional for its psychological force. In the mid-1500s, Giovanni Battista Moroni was northern Italy’s leading portraitist, admired for the intense naturalism and remarkable immediacy of his work. A clever illusion here is the book projecting over the marble ledge, as if into the viewer’s space. The unidentified sitter’s biretta (square cap), book, and black garment, and also the austere setting, indicate he belongs to the clergy, an important class of clientele for the artist. The painting is in superb condition. Even the dark pigments, which often fade over time, are well preserved—evident in the details of the man’s black cloak and hat. Europe

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