Portret van een architect 1558 - 1608

Giovanni Ambrogio Figino rendered this portrait of an architect in pen and brown ink, with blue wash, heightened with white over black chalk. Figino was working in Milan during the late Renaissance, a period marked by both religious reform and artistic innovation. The architect is captured in the midst of his work, surrounded by the tools and symbols of his trade. There's a tangible sense of self-possession, evident in his gaze. During the Renaissance the status of the artist was shifting. No longer seen as mere craftsmen, artists like architects asserted their intellectual and creative authority. Consider how Figino uses line and shading to convey not just the architect's physical likeness, but also his social standing and intellectual prowess. The architect's identity is crafted through both his own self-presentation and Figino's artistic interpretation. This portrait invites us to consider the complex interplay between identity, representation, and social status in Renaissance society.