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Portrait of a Musician

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, was an Italian Renaissance polymath whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, and cartography. He epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal.

Max Resolution:808×1159 PX

Title:Portrait of a Musician

Artists:Leonardo da Vinci

Date:c.1483 - 1487

Style:Early Renaissance

Genre:portrait

Medium:oil,panel

Location:Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan, Italy

Dimensions:32×44.7 cm

Copyright:Public domain

Portrait of a Musician is an oil on wood painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It was probably painted in 1490.

The man in the painting was at one time thought to be Franchino Gaffurio, who was the maestro di cappella of the Milanese Cathedral. Although some believe it to be a portrait of Gaffurio, others think the man is anonymous. The piece of paper he holds is at least one part of a musical score; it has notes written on it. The painting was greatly restored and repainted, and Leonardo probably left the portrait unfinished but close to completion.

The man is positioned in a three-quarter position and he is holding a partition sheet. The musician stares at something outside the spectator's field of vision. Compared to the detailed face of the musician, the red hat, his tunic and his hair seem to be painted by a completely other painter. Art historians have recognized the fine art of da Vinci in the young man's face, though the partition sheet and his hand may have been added onto the original work.

Siegfried Woldhek, a Dutch illustrator, has claimed that 'Portrait of a Musician' is one of three self-portraits by Leonardo.