Portrait of a Man late 16th/early 17th century

If you could choose to carry any artwork in your pocket, what would it be? Maybe you’d go for a tiny version of a famous masterpiece, or a peaceful landscape to remind you to relax. During the reigns of Henry VIII and Francis I in the early 16th century, portrait miniatures boomed in popularity. Before the development of photography in the 19th century, these tiny painted portraits acted like personalised lockets. They could be carried, worn as jewellery, or pinned to clothing. This specific miniature is about half the size of your mobile phone. Yet despite its tiny size, it’s incredibly detailed! ‘Portrait of a Man’ was painted by the French-English miniaturist Isaac Oliver (c.1565-1617) towards the very beginning of the 17th century. This period is known as the Jacobean Era. The exact identity of the man depicted in this portrait is unknown. But there are several clues which might help us to understand what type of person he was. Oliver has painted the man with pale, smooth skin and slightly tinted cheeks. This touch of colour is suggestive of youth – we can guess that the man might have been in his early twenties at the time of this portrait. He looks out to the viewer with a direct gaze, indicating confidence. He also wears a black silk doublet with gilded details – an extremely fashionable item of clothing which signifies his wealth. We can be pretty certain that this man was of high social status. This miniature was created using watercolour paint on vellum, a type of parchment made from thinly stretched animal skin. Oliver has used intricate brushstrokes to denote the wispy hairs around the man’s hairline and eyebrows, as well as the white highlight for his eye. The vivid blue background complements the sitter’s eye colour, and creates an impression of intelligence, calmness, and loyalty. Just imagine the artist holding a tiny brush, carefully applying small dots and dashes of paint to craft the man’s appearance! ️