Domenico Tintoretto – Portrait of a Venetian (115 × 95 cm). This is a formal portrait of a noble Italian from the late 16th century, likely connected with trade. The man is shown in three-quarter view, dressed in austere black attire with a high white lace collar that underscores his status and refinement. His confident gaze and the hand set on his waist convey dignity and self-awareness. In the background, through an open window, an architectural landscape is visible – probably a family estate symbolizing the sitter’s wealth and lineage. On the table at left are costly objects, including a finely cased watch, emphasizing his taste and social rank. In the upper right is a coat of arms with a motto indicating membership in a particular lineage. The symbols of the caduceus and the cornucopia, together with the motto UTINAM (“May it please God”), point to associations with felicitas, trade, and commercial success, though the sitter’s identity remains unknown. The painting combines representational grandeur with a refined painterly manner characteristic of late Renaissance portraiture in Italy.

The portrait was published with a commentary by Rodolfo Pallucchini in George Encil’s Experience and Adventures of a Collector. Pallucchini concludes that the portrait is by Domenico Tintoretto. An expert opinion by Marco Tanzi likewise attributes the portrait of the young nobleman to this artist. Tanzi notes that the work belongs to Domenico’s mature period, when he paid particular attention to psychological characterization and produced portraits comparable to the finest examples of late 16th-century Venetian art. The composition is typical of Venetian portraiture of the late 16th century, especially of the circle of Titian, Jacopo, and Domenico Tintoretto.

Domenico Robusti, known as Domenico Tintoretto, was the son of Jacopo Tintoretto and the continuer of his workshop. Trained by his father, he worked with him for a long time, which is why his works are often confused with Jacopo’s. After his father’s death in 1594 he headed the workshop and became one of Venice’s leading painters. He took part in creating the monumental Paradiso for the Hall of the Great Council in the Doge’s Palace (directly behind the dais where the Signoria sat – a work admired by Mark Twain in 1878), but his greatest renown came from his portraits – lively, psychologically nuanced, and precise in characterization – which made him sought after not only in Venice but beyond. His patrons included Venetian doges as well as European courts (for example, in Mantua and Ferrara).

Size: 115 x 95 cm.