Portrait of an Elderly Man

Francesco Bonsignori, who became court painter to the Gonzaga family in Mantua after impressing them with his portrait skills, created this work around 1487, now in London's National Gallery. Portrait painting emerged as a major genre during the fifteenth century, reflecting the growing emphasis on individual identity and the secular confidence of the merchant and aristocratic classes. Francesco Bonsignori, active in Verona, brought emerging naturalistic techniques to the art of portraiture.

Careful attention to physiognomic detail and costume textures distinguishes this portrait, with the sitter rendered against a controlled background that focuses attention on facial features and expression.