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48 Portrait of Giacomo di Giovanni d’Antonio Loiani (?)

This drawing is the work of an artist known as the Master of the Baroncelli Portraits, who was active in Bruges during the 1480s and 1490s. The name is derived from portraits attributed to the artist of an Italian banker named Pierantonio Baroncelli and his wife, Maria (Uffizi Gallery, Florence). This drawing was likely a study for a painting, and the subject has been identified as an Italian businessman who engaged in trade in Bruges and Antwerp. The three-quarter view we see here, with the subject at an angle to the plane of the portrait, first arose in northern Europe. The clothing and hat were sketched only roughly, suggesting that the artist may have had to complete the drawing in a very short time. However, the meticulous depiction of the hollows and wrinkles around the eyes, the sunken cheeks, the slightly parted lips, and other facial details reveals the artist’s determination to capture the sitter’s individuality.