Portrait of an Unknown Man

This portrait of an unknown man, dating to around 1538, is one of the many unidentified sitters in Corneille de Lyon's extensive portrait production. The loss of identity for many of his subjects reflects the passage of centuries and the disruption of the Wars of Religion that devastated Lyon in the 1560s. Despite the anonymity, the portrait retains its power as a vivid record of an individual life. peintre du roi in Lyon, portraitist to the French royal family including Henri II and Catherine de' Medici.

The portrait demonstrates Corneille's ability to create a psychologically compelling image within his characteristically small format. Subtle variations in skin tone and expression give the anonymous sitter a vivid sense of individual presence.