Domenico Ghirlandaio, 'Portrait of a Young Man in Red', probably about 1480-90

Capturing the physical likeness of a sitter as well as their soul or character was crucial to Renaissance portraiture. This was made easier with the introduction of the three-quarter view, as used here. It allows us to see more of the sitter’s face and so is more engaging than the previously preferred profile view, which derived from ancient coins and medals. This young man’s intense gaze is fixed towards something outside of the picture. Although he does not engage directly with us, we get the impression that he is thinking deeply, strengthening the sense of his real presence.

The turn of the sitter’s torso towards the viewer was, like the landscape setting, a feature of Netherlandish portraiture, introduced by the artist Memling, whose work was very popular in Italy. The imaginary landscapes usually included a river or lake between a valley and mountains beyond. Distant fortifications, painted in miniature, were also often included to emphasise the breadth of the landscape. The mountains in the background here are painted with blue tones to evoke a sense of their distance and they contrast strongly with the lush green hills of the middle ground.

The sitter’s youth is evoked by the smoothness of his skin. This effect was typical of Florentine painting in the fifteenth century and was achieved by applying paint in very fine and dense lines. Domenico Ghirlandaio and his workshop and associates, including his brother Davide and his brother-in-law Sebastiano Mainardi, all produced portraits in this style.