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Portrait of Cardinal Zelada

A work made of oil on panel.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on panel.

Date:

1773

Artist:

Anton Raphael Mengs
German, 1728–1779

About this artwork

Anton Raphael Mengs worked for princely clients in Dresden, Madrid, Naples, and Rome, and was an early promoter of the Neoclassical style in art and writing. Francesco Saverio Zelada, depicted here, was an enthusiast of the arts and sciences who eventually rose to the position of Secretary of State for the Vatican. This work was probably commissioned when Zelada was made a cardinal in 1773. The sitter proudly holds a biretta, the scarlet cap traditionally worn by cardinals. Meng’s masterful use of color and texture to enhance the status of his sitters is on full display here through the evocation of silk, lace, fur, and ruddy flesh.

Status

On View, Gallery 217

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Anton Raffael Mengs

Title

Portrait of Cardinal Zelada

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1773

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

90 × 66 cm (35 7/16 × 26 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Silvain and Arma Wyler Foundation

Reference Number

1969.2

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/30899/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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