Updated 07 April 2025
On Display Special Exhibition Wing
On Display
Special Exhibition Wing
Portrait of a Young Man as David
| Date | c. 1555-60 |
|---|---|
| Materials and Techniques | oil on canvas |
| Size（cm） | 124.5 x 96.5 |
| Credit Line | Purchased |
| Standard ref. | Bernani/Vecchi 122 |
| Category | Paintings |
| Collection Number | P.1971-0002 |
This work was originally in the collection of the famous British art historian, Sir Kenneth Clark, and represents the portrait of a young man in the guise of the Old Testament (Samuel 1: 17) hero, David. The body of the Philistine Goliath slain by David and fleeing Philistine troops can be seen in the left background, all depicted in such an energetic manner that Sir K. Clark noted, "they bring to mind Delacroix." Two theories have been proposed for the dating of this work: E. von der Bercken suggests the period of 1544-1550, while R. Pallucchini and P. Rossi indicate the latter half of the 1550s. It would seem that the latter theory is correct. It is thought that the figure shown is the scion, appropriately named David, of a famous family. This individual is thought to be the same figure shown in Paolo Veronese's work Man in Furs (Museum of Fine Arts Budapest). While O. Benesch has proposed that Tintoretto's follower's student, the Flemish painter Gillis van Valckenborch, added the scene of the Philistine battle, Rossi rejects this theory.(Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no. 18)
Provenance
Robert Napier of Shandon, 1877; Hanbury, 1927; Sir Kenneth Clark; Gallery Agnew, London; Purchased by the NMWA, 1972.
Exhibition History
- 1928
- , Burlington Fine Arts Club, 0 1928 - 0 1928, cat. no. 26
- 1953
- De Venetiaanse meesters, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 26 July 1953 - 11 October 1953, cat. no. 61
- 1960
- Italian art and Britain, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2 January 1960 - 6 March 1960, cat. no. 61
- 1997
- [Exhibition for Children] Every Picture Tells a Story, Tokyo National Museum, 1 July 1997 - 31 August 1997
- 1999
- Florence and Venice: Italian Renaissance Paintings and Sculpture from the State Hermitage Museum, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 20 March 1999 - 20 June 1999, cat. no. 50
- 2018
- Rubens and the Birth of the Baroque, The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 16 October 2018 - 20 January 2019, cat. no. 38
Bibliography
- 1929
- Bercken, Erich von der. Einige unbekannte Werke Jacopo Tintorettos'. Pantheon. vol. 4,July/December 1929, p. 452, col. repr.
- 1939
- Bercken, Erich von der. Thieme-Becker-Künstlerlexikon. Bd. 33, Leipzig, 1939, p. 193.
- 1942
- Bercken, Erich von der. Tintoretto. München, 1942, p. 52, no. 159.
- 1950
- Palluccjomo, Rodolfo. La giovinezza del Tintoretto. Milano, Guarnati, 1950, p. 152 (dated c. 1555-60).
- 1956
- Benesch, O. Some unknown early works by Tintoretto. Arte Veneta. vol. 10, 1956, p. 98.
- 1957
- Berenson, Bernard. Italian Pictures of the Renaissance, Venetian school. vol. 2, London, 1957, p. 177, pl. 1290.
- 1970
- Bernari, Carlo; De Vecchi, Pierluigi. L'opera completa del Tintoretto. Milano, Rizzoli, 1970, p. 99, no. 122.
- 1973
- Bulletin Annuel du Musée National d’Art Occidental. No.6 (1971), 1973, Nouvelles acquisitions, par Chisaburoh F. Yamada, pp. 3-5. Nouvelles acquisitions (catalogue). pp.8-9, col. repr, p. 2.
- 1973
- Mazia, Violette De. Creative distortion, 3. In portrature. Journal of the art department, the Barnes Foundation. autumn 1973, pl. 19.
- 1973
- Gazette des Beaux-Arts. ser. 6, tome 81, Feb. 1973, "Chronique des arts", p. 233, no. 844, repr.
- 1974
- Rossi, Paola. Jacopo Tintoretto. vol. 1: i ritratti, Venezia, Alfieri, [1974] , p. 44, p. 110, fig. 91.
- 1974
- Clark, Kenneth. Another Part of the Wood: A Self-portrait by Kenneth Clark. London, John Murray, 1974, p. 195.
- 1975
- Les cent chefs-d'œuvre du Musée National d'Art Occidental. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1975 (Japanese), no. 5, col. repr.
- 1978
- Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1978 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 5, col. repr.
- 1979
- The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo: Catalogue of paintings. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1979, no. 267, repr.
- 2006
- Masterpieces of The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2006 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 18, col. repr.
- 2009
- Masterpieces of The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2009, no. 18, col. repr.
- 2013
- Masterpieces: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2013 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 20, col. repr.
- 2018
- Rubens and the Birth of the Baroque (exh. cat.). Lo Bianco, Anna; Watanabe Shinsuke, eds. Tokyo, TBS Television, 2018, pp. 120-121, 290, cat. no. 38, col. repr.