The Venetian painter Titian was a giant of Renaissance art who shaped the course of art history. A brilliant colorist and manipulator of paint, he worked in different genres but turned most frequently to portraiture throughout his long career. He executed grand works for the who’s who of 16th-century European elite, including Holy Emperor Charles V, Pope Paul III, King Philip II of Spain, successive doges, and cultural figures of the day.
However, one of his earliest celebrated portraits features an unknown male sitter. The circa 1510 canvas at London’s National Gallery (NG) is currently referred to as “Portrait of Gerolamo (?) Barbarigo.” The man has remained captivating to viewers for so long due to Titian’s use of a dynamic turning pose on a parapet, expressive conveyance of the figure’s inner life, and a superlative quilted satin sleeve.
