(Modena circa 1509 or 1512–1571 Fontainebleau)
Portrait of a young bearded man with a black hat, bust-length,
oil on panel, 56.8 x 44.7 cm, framed

We are grateful to Angela Ghirardi for suggesting the attribution of the present painting on the basis of a photograph.

A native of Modena, Niccolò dell’Abbate worked in fresco on the decoration of private residences, especially that of the Boiardo family in Scandiano, or public palaces, such as the façade of the Palazzo delle Beccherie in Modena. During this time, the artist absorbed both the influence of Dosso Dossi, the painter favoured by the influential Alfonso I d’Este, as well as of Parmigianino, whose elegant and fluid forms had a great impact on dell’Abbate’s developing Mannerist style. Dell’Abbate’s trip to Bologna in 1547 also brought him into contact with the works of Francesco Salviati, Giorgio Vasari and, most importantly, the aforementioned Parmigianino. As Francesco Primaticcio’s assistant, dell’Abbate travelled to the court of Henri II in Fontainebleau, where he would become one of the most significant artists of the school of painting established there.

As an artist of the French court at Fontainebleau, Niccolò dell’Abbate undertook numerous portrait commissions – a genre in which he excelled. His portrait style takes its inspiration from Parmigianino’s sinuous lines, to which he added a delicate and harmonious palette.

The present painting can be compared to his Portrait of a young man with a dog in the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica di Palazzo Barberini, Rome. The elegance of the figure immaculately dressed and also wearing a hat, and the simplicity of the design also sets the protagonist against a monochrome background.