Portrait of a Young Man

You see one eye, the outline of a long nose and a closed mouth. The young man turns fully to the side, with pale hair curling beneath a large red cap. A dark blue background keeps the profile clear. Even at this small scale, Cosmè Tura gives you fine lines of hair and the fastening on the green garment. The narrow format suggests that the painting could have been carried and perhaps kept in a protective case. Imagine how different the encounter would be with a small portrait held near you. The sitter’s eye faces sideways, so your attention follows the contour of his face and the details of his clothing. Tura painted the portrait in tempera on wood during the 1470s. He worked at the court of Ferrara, and this sitter belonged to the circle around its ruling Este family. The man’s name has not been identified.