Portrait of a Man

Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio painted this Portrait of a Man around 1510, continuing the prestigious Florence portrait practice established by his father Domenico. As head of the Ghirlandaio workshop after his father's death, Ridolfo served Florence's leading families and was entrusted with important civic commissions including decorations for Leo X's ceremonial entry into Florence in 1515. His male portraits combine the three-quarter pose and landscape backgrounds established by Florentine Renaissance convention with a directness of gaze and solidness of modeling that gives his sitters convincing physical presence. Ridolfo was admired by Vasari as a reliable craftsman whose workshop maintained high standards across both portraiture and narrative painting.

The portrait shows Ridolfo's clear, luminous technique with precise characterization and the warm Florentine palette that made his portraiture sought after by the city's patrician families.