Portrait of a Man

This black chalk drawing is directly related to Bonsignori’s portrait of Giovanni Cappello. Contemporary documents mention two kinds of drawings that were part of Bonsignori’s portraiture practice. One type of drawing was part of the artists’s process, while another type was represented by drawings made after painted portraits. Examples of the latter type were kept in the workshop at least until the middle of the following century by Bonsignori’s heir. The present drawing might be one of such work.

The drawing is more vigorous than the painting and this led to the suggestion by some critics that the drawing was created by Mantegna for Bonsignori’s use. However, the drawing is generally believed to be by Bonsignori himself.