An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Portrait of a Man, possibly Girolamo Rosati1533–34
Lorenzo Lotto
The gesture of the elegantly dressed man is a mystery. Is he rising from his chair to address someone or is he pointing to something outside the frame? His right hand rests on a piece of paper (a letter?), while on the table are clover—a symbol of abundance, good fortune, and happy marriage—and jasmine, associated with purity and love, further emphasized by the roses on the trellis. There may have been a companion portrait of the sitter’s bride, to whom he acknowledges his devotion. Another recent interpretation identifies the sitter as Girolamo Rosati, a high official in Fermo, on Italy’s east coast. The paper may be a design for one of his important architectural projects, to which he may be pointing in the distance. The interrupted moment is a naturalistic touch characteristic of Lotto, quite distinct from the formality of the other Italian Renaissance portraits in the museum's collection. Though this portrait clearly articulates the man’s status, Lotto emphasizes his individuality and interiority as much as a socially constructed identity.
This fashionable man broadcasts his wealth by wearing a fur-lined velvet and satin outfit with expensive gold jewelry.
oil on canvas
Framed: 135.9 x 128 x 8.6 cm (53 1/2 x 50 3/8 x 3 3/8 in.); Unframed: 108.2 x 100.5 cm (42 5/8 x 39 9/16 in.)
Gift of the Hanna Fund
In a sunlit room, rich with the scent of jasmine and the promise of roses climbing a trellis, an elegantly dressed man pauses, caught in a moment of uncertainty. His gesture is the heart of an unspoken tale—a mystery lingering in the air just as delicately as the clover resting on the table beside him. What drives his motion? Is he rising to address someone unseen, or perhaps he points, in the direction of a world just outside the frame, a world filled with dreams and decisions yet to be made?
His right hand, steady and contemplative, gently rests upon a piece of paper—could it be a letter, whispering of love or promises not yet fulfilled? It seems to echo a distant affection, perhaps a nod to an admirer watching from elsewhere, or even a silent acknowledgment of a waiting bride. The clover, with its emerald hue, reminds us of abundance and the joys of a happy marriage, while jasmine, its petals soft and pure, speaks to the themes of love intertwined with devotion.
Amidst this carefully constructed ambiance, a more recent interpretation emerges: the man could be Girolamo Rosati, a high official hailing from Fermo, a picturesque town on the eastern coast of Italy. If that were the case, the paper might not just hold personal sentiments but represent significant architectural projects, concepts of ambition and vision that stretch even beyond his immediate sight—an invitation to a future that he alone can see.
This fleeting moment of introspection—so natural, so intimate—is what sets Lotto, the creator of this portrait, apart from the more formal, stoic representations of his contemporaries. In this portrayal, while the man's status is clearly evident, Lotto dares to delve deeper, revealing the layers of individuality and inner life that lie beneath the surface. He invites us to appreciate not just who this man is in the eyes of society but who he is in the quiet corners of his heart.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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