Portrait of a Young Man

Portrait of a Young Man, ca. 1760–65, Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, Oil on canvas, 97 1/8 x 69 1/4 in. (246.7 x 175.9 cm)

Pompeo Girolamo Batoni was an accomplished artist who painted altarpieces, historical & allegorical paintings & portraits. He painted portraits of many important notable people in Europe - patrons from Austrian & Russian courts, royal courts of Europe and portraits of Pope Clement XIII and Pope Pius VI..so basically a lot of famous rich people. Since he was located in Rome, patrons just popped into his studio when they visited Rome. you could probably say he was a favorite stop on the Grand Tour! He painted portraits of them posed in standing positions or like in their royal clothes. Even though he painted a whole bunch of portaits, each one was unique. oh and btw, this portrait is oil on canvas!

ok so now we're gonna talk about this dude in the picture and all that cool stuff you see in the background :D

This young man is not identified, but it is thought that he is French. He might even be just a tourist. He is shown in a luxurious space. The objects shown in the painting were deliberately selected to show that the subject was not only educated about the discoveries of the time, but also had the tools in his possession. The furniture, clothing, and curtains show signs of wealth. Books, paper and pens are spread casually demonstrating his devotion to studies and writing. The people of this time period were fascinated with the work of the Romans. There’s guidebooks to Rome in the painting too. Rome was an essential stop on the Grand Tour. The city and its history were essential to a well-rounded education…word got around & his reputation became linked with the Tour, and the wealthy patrons were led to his studio where hundreds of people sat for their portraits and contributed to his illustrious career.
*Oh and for those of you who have that dandy fine arts day booklets, it’s on page 10! :D
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-Vanisha!