An Old Man and his Grandson is a
tempera painting by the
Italian Renaissance artist
Domenico Ghirlandaio completed c. 1490. It portrays an older man in a red robe, embracing a young child whose hand is on his chest. The
deformity of the man's nose, evidence of
rhinophyma, is at variance with the
physiognomic theory of the era, as it is seen not as implying a defect of character but as inviting an appreciation of the man's virtuousness. Critics have noted an emotional undercurrent in the work; according to art historian
Bernard Berenson, "There is no more human picture in the entire range of Quattrocento painting, whether in or out of Italy."Painting:
Domenico Ghirlandaio
An Old Man and his Grandson is a
tempera painting by the
Italian Renaissance artist
Domenico Ghirlandaio completed c. 1490. It portrays an older man in a red robe, embracing a young child whose hand is on his chest. The
deformity of the man's nose, evidence of
rhinophyma, is at variance with the
physiognomic theory of the era, as it is seen not as implying a defect of character but as inviting an appreciation of the man's virtuousness. Critics have noted an emotional undercurrent in the work; according to art historian
Bernard Berenson, "There is no more human picture in the entire range of Quattrocento painting, whether in or out of Italy."Painting:
Domenico Ghirlandaio