Portrait of a Man

This portrait attributed to Giovanni Battista Moroni, the great Bergamasque portraitist, dates to around 1520. However, this date may be questionable as Moroni was born around 1520-1524, suggesting the attribution or date may need revision. The painting is in the Detroit Institute of Arts. The 1520s were a decade of transition, marked by the deaths of Raphael and Leonardo, the shock of the Reformation, and the beginnings of Mannerist experimentation.

The portrait displays the direct, naturalistic approach that would later characterize Moroni's celebrated portrait style. The warm palette reflects the North Italian painting tradition.