Marco Grimani
1576 - 1583. Oil on canvas.Not on display
A portrait of Marco Grimani (d. 1583), a Venetian senator and contemporary of Tintoretto. In keeping with the artist´s customary portrait compositions, the sitter appears slightly turned, over a black background, and gazing fixedly at the viewer. The placement of his left arm opens the work´s perspective into a third dimension. This realistic representation of the model is characteristic of Tintoretto, who differed from his contemporaries in his faithful depiction of his sitters. The attributes of Grimani´s social stature are shown, including his red velvet clothing with ermine skins, but neither his age nor his personality traits are idealized. The artist uses light to bring out the most important details, such as his hands and face, which contrast with the black background. Tintoretto became especially famous for his portraits, thanks to which he had his first successes in sixteenth-century Venice.
