Portrait of a Young Man

Bellini was among the most influential artists in Venice. Here he ran a successful workshop. His name is inscribed in Latin on this painting. The man’s true identity is not known. The style of his hat suggests he was part of the German community in Venice. This is one of the artworks presented by the Liverpool Royal Institution. Liverpool’s economic development grew directly from Britain’s involvement with transatlantic slavery: the kidnapping, enslavement and forced migration of people from West Africa to the Americas and many to the Caribbean. Many members of the Royal Institution made their fortunes directly through the trade or indirectly through the wider economy. This wealth was largely how they were able to bring rare art and treasures, such as this, to the city.