Boy with flute 1508

Giorgione painted this portrait, Boy with Flute, on canvas, likely in Venice in the early 16th century. The artist’s skill is evident in the oil paint, built up in translucent layers, creating a subtle range of tones. He's taken this to a higher level. Oil paint was, by this point, the material of choice for ambitious painters. It allowed for a high degree of naturalism, suiting the era’s growing interest in individualized portraiture. Look closely at the boy's pale skin, and how the light glints off his golden hair. The effect depends entirely on the artist's ability to tease the medium into producing a convincing likeness. The painting exemplifies the period's new vision of art, which elevated the ingenuity of individuals. In contrast to the craftsmanlike exactitude expected of earlier artists, the young boy's features celebrate the artist's skill, and their power to hold our attention centuries later.