Brother Gregorio Belo of Vicenza

Lorenzo Lotto

1547 · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

Surrounded by darkness, Brother Gregorio beats his breast in penance in emulation of Saint Jerome (347–420 CE), the founder of the religious order to which he belonged. He looks at the viewer but, inspired by the book he holds, his meditations are on the Crucifixion, which Lotto shows in the background—a projection of Gregorio’s thoughts. In these ways, the picture depicts a mental state, moving beyond the notion of portraiture as a mere record of ap-pearance. Lotto’s interest in capturing the inner workings of his sitters can be linked to his study of the psycholog-ically probing portraits of Albrecht Dürer, who made two trips to Venice.

Artist

Lorenzo Lotto

Date

1547

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1965