Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap - German

Gift of the Old Masters Society, C. Harker and Mae Svoboda Rhodes, and purchased with funds provided by Barbara Danielson

Ancient Art European Art Paintings

"Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap" by German (c. 1480) Oil on panel.

Commentary

"Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap" by German (c. 1480) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather than through narrativ e alone. Themes to notice include 15th century, painting. This piece is held in the source collection's Painting and Sculpture of Europe collection. German is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: South German; possibly Ulm. The work is cataloged within a Germany cultural context. It is associated with the 15th century period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as painting, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Oil on panel) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Panel: 29.5 × 21.6 cm (11 5/8 × 8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include 15th century, painting. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/218072

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data