Portrait Of A Man — Carlo Crivelli

Portrait of a Man

Examine Carlo Crivelli’s ‘Portrait of a Man,’ a 18th-century oil painting featuring an intriguing subject & Goya-esque style. Explore its rich details, symbolism & historical context.


Carlo Crivelli (1435 - 1495)

Carlo Crivelli (1435-1495) was a Venetian Renaissance painter known for his detailed late Gothic style, 'trompe l'oeil' techniques & devotional works like Madonnas. Explore his art and legacy.

At some point in its history, this portrait of an unknown man acquired the signature and date that appear across the right background: "Goya 1780." The unflinching, not altogether flattering, approach to the sitter evokes the Spanish painter Francisco Goya (1746–1828), but this portrait’s handling is nothing like Goya"s. Gaspare Traversi (ca. 1722–1770) has been proposed as its author, though this is not universally accepted.