French school; second half of the XVI century.

French school; second half of the sixteenth century.
"Portrait of a gentleman.
Oil on panel.
Measurements: 8 x 6 x 0.5 cm.
In this work the author shows us a masculine figure that covers almost the totality of the space, devoid of ornamentation and of great monumentality as for the figure, as it is habitual in the portrait painting of the time. The figure is dressed in a black coat with white collars, creating a contrast of great majesty and relevance from a perspective based on sobriety.
Miniature painting, especially portraits, developed in Europe from the 16th century onwards. They were mainly paintings embedded in objects such as medallions, table clocks or small boxes. They were done in a variety of techniques, such as oil on copper, tin or ivory, gouaches on parchment or cardboard and, from the 18th century, watercolor on ivory. This delicate art will be lost since the second half of the 19th century, in parallel to the development of photography.