Il Tagliapanni
circa 1565-70
The gaze of this man is contained in his raised lids and dark brows, and in his set jaw outlined by the cock of his head. His hands bear the knowledge of a trained tailor, and his torso is formed for us by the clean-cut design of his high-necked chemise.
It is interesting to think that at the time of this painting's execution this young man was looking at his portraitist. But now he stares at us, his perpetual audience. His glance evokes thought, but his hands, though at a pause, evoke movement - that which is quick for the sake of efficiency, as well as skilled for the sake of maintaining a reputable business.
The grey-black back wall and the black cloth laid on the table act as indicators of what one should pay most attention to. They are intentionally bare and boring, while the clothing and stature of the man are fine and eye-catching. His scissors act as a subtle arrow or pointer to what he depends on as income, and his body takes on the classical form of an upwards triangle. While these details are typical of centuries' worth of depicting personages it is important to realise that Moroni was one of the first portraitists to idolise all kinds of portraiture, whether it be of the 'higher' class folk or of the 'lower', such as this tagliapanni. He placed all men and women (more or less) on the same level in his paintings, highlighting their features and feats, no matter how different from one another, through details like poise and compositional structure.
So why do so many of us pause to return this man's stare, to look at him? Because without even knowing his name we nevertheless relate to him; he is one of us. He is proud to be ordinary and he bears this with dignity.
So why do so many of us pause to return this man's stare, to look at him? Because without even knowing his name we nevertheless relate to him; he is one of us. He is proud to be ordinary and he bears this with dignity.
