An Old Man holding a Pilgrim-Bottle
- Artist: Pietro Bellotti
- Date: probably 1650s
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "An Old Man holding a Pilgrim-Bottle" painted in the north Italian style, attributed to Pietro Bellotti. The subject of this painting looks down towards a globe or sphere with a scene of a country inn at dusk. He's also holding an earthenware pilgrim-bottle, which was a common accessory for travellers and pilgrims during the seventeenth century.
These types of bottles were produced across Europe, but this particular one may have been made in the north Italian region where Bellotti worked. The painting may have an allegorical meaning, representing the wisdom gained by an aged traveller who's seen the world.
Bellotti was a painter of portraits and character heads who also managed art collections for the Gonzaga family in Mantua. His work was popular with Spanish patrons, so it's possible that this painting was made for someone from Spain.
See it in person
An Old Man holding a Pilgrim-Bottle hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
