Bust Portrait of a Young Man
1620/25
Black and red chalk, with stumping, on tan laid paper
14.2 × 11.9 cm (5.6 × 4.7 in)
SEE IT IN PERSON
Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
The Parisian Simon Vouet became one of the most influential artists of his generation. He went to Italy as a young man and worked in Caravaggio’s wake in Rome. This compelling depiction of a disheveled, nude young man (possibly a self-portrait) has an immediacy and a naturalism characteristic of the Baroque. The figure’s engaging gaze into our space draws us in.
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