Portrait of a Young Artist

The youthful sitter in this portrait pauses in the midst of drawing a nude figure to shape his quill pen. On the shelf behind him are pots of paint, a shell probably used to mix pigment and binder, and a bottle of oil. It has often been assumed that this is a self-portrait, given the individualized features, like the mole on the man’s cheek, and the range of artmaking tools throughout the scene. Whether the artist depicted himself or a colleague, the presentation here leaves no doubt as to the profession of this sitter or the painter’s esteem for it.