Portrait of a Musician

The portraits and altarpieces of Bernardino Licinio are filled with the warm, diffused light and rich color which characterize the art of Renaissance Venice. A student of Giovanni Bellini (ca. 1430 - ca. 1516), Licinio painted gentle, lyrical imagery and his portraits include a number of large family groups.

Portrait of a Musician is reflective of the new humanism in Renaissance portraiture which often presented individuals without religious or specific historical reference. In this half-length example, the fact that the sitter was a musician is confirmed by the painter's careful attention to the violoncello.  The figure is brought directly forward to the viewer, while the curved lines of the musical instrument's neck, the sitter's clasped hand and tilted head ingeniously combine to produce a harmonious whole.