Male Portrait

On a dark background is a bust-length portrait of a young man. The head and gaze of the portrayed man are turned to the right. Curled moustaches and a slight blush on the determined face highlight his youthful vitality. The man is dressed in brown attire with a white shirt and a wide collar. The artist of the work is unknown, and it is dated to the first half of the 18th century. The canvas entered the Gallery collection as "Portrait of an Unknown Man" by the Austrian artist Martin van Meytens the Younger, a portraitist of the Baroque era. Initially, the artist created small-sized paintings and miniature enamel portraits, which were very popular. But later, he began to paint with oil paints. In Vienna, Martin van Meytens became a renowned portraitist among the city's aristocracy and the royal family. He became the court painter at the imperial court and illustrated all historical events and ceremonies. The artist's students assisted him in creating multi-figure compositions. The works from this period are vibrant and extraordinarily colourful. The artist's style combined the traditions of Dutch painting, Viennese Rococo, delicate technique, and the "smooth" surface characteristic of enamel painting.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery