Lorenzo Lotto: Portraits, Exhibition, The Prado Museum, Madrid: 19 June-30 September 2018

Lotto was active in the early to mid 16th  century and was influenced by other Italian Renaissance painters such as Bellini and Raphael, although he has a distinctive style of his own. Lotto’s paintings are known for their bright, saturated colours, bold shadows and his use of symbolism. Although he was born in Venice and trained there, Lotto worked throughout Italy, so his works were influenced by other Northern Italian styles and his sitters were from a range of different cities. As well as portraits, Lotto, who was very religious, also worked on devotional images and altarpieces, and his later works particularly reflect his spiritualism.

He painted portraits of diverse cross-section of the Italian middle class, including men, women, children, religious and lay people. Lotto used  objects alongside his subjects to show  their occupation, interests and position in society, making  a very personal and intimate portrait  of the sitter, giving an insight into their private lives. Lotto’s impeccable attention rendered the features of his subjects and their possessions in immense detail.

Museo del Prado

Paseo del Prado, 28014 Madrid