Attributed to
Lavinia Fontana
, Italian, 1552-1614
Title
Portrait of a Gentleman in ArmourDatelate 1590s
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
89 x 65 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1885
Object numberNGI.460
DescriptionThis depiction of an unidentified man was painted by Lavinia Fontana, a Bolognese native famed for her portraiture and recognised as one of the first women in Europe to have achieved a successful public career as an artist. The subject stands with a hand on his hip and gazes boldly at the viewer, a smile touching the corners of his lips. Light reflects brilliantly against one side of his breastplate, and illuminates a helmet on the lower left where he proudly rests his other hand. Fontana has finished the painting with meticulous detail, from the intricate lace collar and cuffs to the delicate gold decoration applied to the armour.