The Italian painter Lorenzo Lotto (ca. 1480-1556), one of the great masters of the Venetian Renaissance, is known for his well-articulated yet gently rendered portraits, soft and rich colors and the sometimes fanciful character of his history painting.

Lorenzo Lotto was born in Venice, and his early work has a decidedly crisp and clear character that shows the influence of the Venetian painters Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, although it also reflects the lyricism of Giorgione and, in the treatment of landscape, the influence of German painters and printmakers, notably Albrecht Dürer. A masterpiece of Lotto's early period is the portrait of Bishop Bernardo dé Rossi (1505), painted in the finest detail with utmost clarity. A beautiful light is cast over the formally posed half-length figure; the face does not betray any emotion, but the eyes are brilliant and animated.

In 1509 Lotto went to Rome. He probably...