Portrait of a 37 years old man 1542

Editor: Here we have Lorenzo Lotto's "Portrait of a 37 Years Old Man," painted in 1542 using oil paints. I'm struck by the directness of his gaze, and how his hand gestures seem to invite scrutiny. What layers can we unpack within this piece? Curator: Considering Lotto’s portrait, I'm particularly interested in the materials and their agency in shaping meaning. Oil paint, for instance, allows for a certain level of detail and blending, impacting both the execution and reception of the work. The subject’s clothing, a dark robe-like garment, signals a certain status. It contrasts vividly against the seemingly domestic scenes within the piece; how does the subject relate to his surrounding? Editor: I noticed the peculiar symbolism in the background. It’s as if Lotto embedded these small narrative elements that perhaps only the sitter understood fully, but it contrasts to the larger text painted to the upper-right of the portrait. The garment itself gives the piece a somber effect but doesn’t reveal anything about the subject’s standing. Curator: Exactly. Look closer, the materiality reveals status that historical interpretations sometimes gloss over. Is that a ring he’s wearing? Is it gold? We should ask ourselves, where did these materials come from? How much did they cost? Moreover, who had access to the materials, and whose labor was involved in preparing them for Lotto’s hand? Those background imageries were common visual communication, such as weights that allude to temperance. And Lotto's skills helped the sitter signal personal, domestic and cultural identity. Editor: I see your point! By emphasizing the materiality, it shifts my perspective from solely appreciating the sitter's personality, and instead understanding its material making and historical labor of wealth accumulation during the 16th Century. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Thinking materially allows us to see art as embedded in socio-economic realities and networks of consumption beyond mere aesthetics.