Domenico Ghirlandaio’s artwork, An Old Man and His Grandson, gives the idea that character overpowers insecurity. Ghirlandaio’s artwork portrays an ugly man with countless warts on his face. This skin condition the man has is known as rhinophyma. This is a rare skin disease, that “causes the nose to be overcome by large, red bumps” (Giorgi).  The focus of this piece is on the grandfather starring into the eyes of his grandson. Instead of focusing on a portrait with beautiful, attractive models, the focus is on the grotesque face of an old man. Ghirlandaio uses juxtaposition in the piece to give the viewer sympathy for the man. The old man’s revolting face compared to the child’s beautiful face creates an argument that love, and beauty comes from the inside. Character is what defines an individual, and this character involves how one deals with certain insecurities. In this case, the insecurity is the man’s appearance. Artistic techniques, setting, and the emotional connection of this piece move viewers to reevaluate the handling of insecurities. 

Symbolism plays an important part in any type of painting. At times, artist’s hide significant symbols in artwork, in the hope that the viewer interprets the work precisely. The first important symbol in the portrait is the positioning of the grandson’s hand on the grandpa’s chest. This shows the trust the grandson possesses in his grandpa. Whatever insecurities the grandpa may have, the level of trust the child appears to obtain shows how the man’s character overpowers his flaws. The next use of symbolism transpires in the back window of the painting. In the distance, there are many windy roads leading up to the residence where we see the grandpa and grandson. This symbolizes the emotional challenge the grandpa faces. The roads represent the fear that the grandpa has in life. He wants to be isolated by society because of his impactful disease. Because of this fear, he lives in a secluded area, accessible only down the path of windy roads. Although faced with many emotional troubles, the grandpa appreciates the loving relationships he has in his life. He disregards the emotional trouble he faces to demonstrate the love he has for his grandchild. The next use of symbolism is the color used in the painting. The color the grandpa and grandson have on is a red. This is significant because red can be seen as a symbol for love. Also, the unity in color represents the shared love the two have for each other. This love may seem odd due to the insecurities the grandpa has, but the loving character the grandfather possesses on the inside makes the grandson look past these insecurities. 

The time period of artwork can change the perception viewers have towards a piece. This piece was created in 1490 during the Italian Renaissance (An Old Man and His Grandson). This was a period of “great cultural change and achievement” (Italian Renaissance). 1490 was considered the high renaissance. During this period, painters demonstrated a “great explosion of creative genius” (Italian Renaissance). Many of the artwork from this era, including Ghirlandaio’s, are still recognized today for their design and technique. This time period was known for people to change their perception of life through artwork. This relates to An Old man and His Grandson because Ghirlandaio is trying to change the way people perceive insecurities. However one may appear to be on the outside does not necessarily determine how they appear on the inside. This piece of artwork details the significance of the Italian renaissance, which was changing the culture and beliefs that society has. For this piece in particular, Ghirlandaio wants to change the beliefs that society has on insecurities.

The artist uses emotion to connect the viewer to the artwork. Sympathy is felt with the viewer by having the focus on the face of a deformed man. This sympathy comes from insecurity of any being. Everyone has flaws. For this man, it is having disease rare disease skin condition of rhinophyma. The connection felt between the two characters shows the sense of beauty that may not be felt on the outside of the man, but the inside. This emotional connection makes the viewers question themselves. The man in this picture is meant to portray a mirror. The viewer can put themselves in the painting by pointing out their own flaws, and how they deal with them. This man proves to be strong because he shares the love with his grandson in which many people would be embarrassed to show given the disease of rhinophyma. This familiarity of the painting creates a valuable connection. It shows the insecurities everyone has, and how we should look past them.  

This portrait demonstrates the beauty and love everyone has within themselves. This can be found by looking past the many insecurities individuals have in life. Through symbolism, setting, and emotion, the viewer can make a connection to this piece. The setting of this portrait plays an important role in the interpretation of the piece. The renaissance was an emotional time period, and Ghirlandaio used this to his advantage. He drew people in with the notion that no one is perfect. With using the contrast of the two beings, known as juxtaposition, the viewer is emotionally connected to the piece. Many people have their insecurities in life. Ghirlandaio portrays the insecurities many people face through this piece of art. The familiarity the viewers have with this piece makes them reevaluate themselves, and how they deal with their insecurities.
