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Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2019
Portrait of a Man (Francesco Bollani)
Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2019
Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2019

Portrait of a Man (Francesco Bollani)

Artist Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Guercino) (Italian, 1591 - 1666)
Date17th century
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsOverall: 40 x 32 1/2 in. (101.6 x 82.6 cm)
ClassificationsEuropean art
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number55.38.1
On View
On view
DescriptionOil on canvas painting; depicts a man seated wearing a coat with large fur collar and glove on left hand and holding a manuscript in the right.

Label TextAttributed to Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Guercino) Italian, 1591–1666 Portrait of a Man (Francesco Bollani) Oil on canvas The man in this portrait wears the fur stole of a scholar and turns to greet us. His identity remained unknown until recently. While restoring the work, researchers deciphered the address on the letter the man is holding. It identifies him as Francesco Bollani of Venice. He was a man of letters and a member of an illustrious family with a Palazzo on the Rio di Santa Giustina, today a center for the arts. Although the letter had faded from wear, the name stood out sharply under ultraviolet light. The sender’s name, however, still remains a mystery. Museum purchase 55.38.1

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