The development in painting that distinguishes the Renaissance from the Middle Ages is perhaps best exemplified by the genre of portraiture. The interest in physiognomy and the study of the face as a mirror of the soul—whose principles had been established in ancient classical art—brought about a significant change: now, the goal is not simply to capture the sitter’s physical resemblance but also his personality while at once establishing a direct connection with the beholder. We ought to point out that, around this moment, the decline in commissions for religious-themed works coincided with a growth in secular representation. Liberated from the need to abide by an iconography established and monitored by the Church, this entailed greater freedom of expression. In turn, the genre was associated with Humanism, a movement highlighting the triumph of man and his place in the universe. Thus, the leading humanists, key to any proper understanding of the sixteenth century, were often portrayed, particularly in Italy, bequeathing their images to posterity.

This intellectual movement was also formed by men of letters, who played a major role in spreading the new philosophy. Artists of the time were interested in immortalising those writers, following the model of portraits of eminent men. The great Italian poet of the late Renaissance, Torquato Tasso was mostly known for his long epic poem Jerusalem Delivered, but also for his turbulent life—partly due to mental illness. Unsurprisingly, he attracted the attention of many painters, including the author of this anonymous work, whose name remains unknown to date.

Portrayed from a slightly frontal view, the figure of the poet stands out against a flat, neutral background. The painter’s study of light enhances the expressiveness and delves into the sitter’s psychology, specific traits of the Italian Renaissance and in particular of the Venetian School. The artist portrays Tasso in his usual attire: dark clothes, white lace collar and cuffs and a belt that shows the hilt of a sword. Worth highlighting is the gesture of the hand resting on the breast which, together with the dominating chiaroscuro, intensifies the melancholic and sombre personality of Tasso, whose face at the same time hints at his extraordinary inner life. The X-rays carried out on the painting revealed a detail invisible to the viewer: it seems that, concealed under the character’s left hand, he is holding an object against his chest. The object is not clearly discerned, but it may well be a notebook or a bundle of papers, which would fit the iconography of a poet and suggest different readings.

Technically speaking, the painter centred his attention on the face and the hands, rendering the rest with quick and free-flowing brushwork. The X-rays and infrared study of the work confirm that the figure was directly painted on the canvas with a very clear outline, without rectifications or a preliminary sketch. This means that, like many of the old masters such as Titian (ca.1490-1576) or El Greco (1541-1614), it was painted , relying on brushwork to model the forms and distribute light and shadow. The painter also used a dark , a technique that had begun to be used in the second half of the sixteenth century which allowed him to spread paint more quickly on the canvas and leave certain areas uncovered so that he could later play with the tone of the ground.