1547, Lorenzo Lotto, Brother Gregorio Belo of Vicenza -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: Surrounded by darkness, Brother Gregorio beats his breast in penance in emulation of Saint Jerome (347-420 CE), the founder of the religious order to which he belonged. He looks at the viewer but, inspired by the book he holds, his meditations are on the Crucifixion, which Lotto shows in the background--a projection of Gregorio's thoughts. In these ways, the picture depicts a mental state, moving beyond the notion of portraiture as a mere record of appearance. Lotto's interest in capturing the inner workings of his sitters can be linked to his study of the psychologically probing portraits of Albrecht Dürer, who made two trips to Venice.
1547, Lorenzo Lotto, Brother Gregorio Belo of Vicenza -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: Surrounded by darkness, Brother Gregorio beats his breast in penance in emulation of Saint Jerome (347-420 CE), the founder of the religious order to which he belonged. He looks at the viewer but, inspired by the book he holds, his meditations are on the Crucifixion, which Lotto shows in the background--a projection of Gregorio's thoughts. In these ways, the picture depicts a mental state, moving beyond the notion of portraiture as a mere record of appearance. Lotto's interest in capturing the inner workings of his sitters can be linked to his study of the psychologically probing portraits of Albrecht Dürer, who made two trips to Venice.