Portrait of Ariosto

The Portrait of Ariosto, attributed to the Venetian painter Titian around 1510, is a masterful example of High renaissance portraiture. Measuring 81.2 by 66.3 centimetres on canvas, this Oil painting showcases Titian’s exceptional skill in capturing personality and texture, notably through the intricate depiction of a man with a quilted sleeve. Despite longstanding debates about the sitter's identity—once thought to be the poet Ariosto, then a self-portrait, and more recently identified as Gerolamo Barbarigo—the painting's quality remains highly praised. Its subtle realism and exquisite use of canvas contribute to its status as a significant example of Renaissance portrait art.