The Condottiere

The Condottiere, one of the most striking portraits by Italian painter Antonello da Messina, created in 1475 and now hanging in the Louvre, Paris. Originally one of several paintings by Messina titled Portrait of a Man, this portrait later came to be called The Condottiere.

The identity of the subject is unknown, but Antonello takes an interest in displaying his sitter’s rank: he is seated before a black background in basic clothing and headwear with good posture, thus elevating his status above that of a mercenary warrior. Indeed, Antonello’s subject most probably was a Venetian and had the wealth to afford a title closer to that of a gentleman, and he may have commissioned this portrait to emphasize his social standing.

The man’s pugnacious countenance and the scar visible on his upper lip gave rise to the impression that he was a ruthless fighter. In 1865 the portrait entered the collection of French emperor Napoleon III, and it acquired the name Il Condottiere, or The Condottiere, at about the same time.