Lorenzo di Credi (Florence, about 1456 - 1536, Florence)
A Boy in a Scarlet Cap, 1468-1531
Oil on poplar panel, 46.5 x 34.5 cm (18 5/16 x 13 9/16 in.)
This vertical oil painting is a portrait of a seated boy against a dark background with a cropped view of a landscape. The boy is facing to our left in a three-quarters view. His whole face is visible. He wears a light red garment with a band of white visible at the neckline and a scarlet cap over wavy shoulder-length red-brown hair. His skin is light, his facial features are delicate, and his brown eyes gaze ahead with an unfocused quality. Strips of brown paneling form the background. In the upper corner to our left is a window, through which is visible a landscape. In the foreground of this landscape, there is grass, a green bush and tree, and a blue body of water. In the distance there are mountains and blue sky.
Early Italian Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.