Baldassare d'Este

Baldassare d’Este was a court painter and medallist in Renaissance Ferrara, working for the Este dukes. His portraits are crisp and precise, often in profile, in the manner of medals, with sharp outlines and careful detail.

Probably born in Reggio, he was a pupil of Cosimo Tura and may himself have been an illegitimate member of the Este family. He served the dukes of Ferrara from 1471, painting portraits such as Borso d’Este and the poet Tito Strozzi, and was also governor of a castle.

His Portrait of a Young Man is in the Museo Correr in Venice. Look at the strong profile and the precise, clean line, which reflect his work as a medallist.