He turns to look at you as if you’ve called his name. As his bearded face is caught in a warm soft light, his eyes contain multitudes of thoughts and memories. His hand in an archer’s glove touches his armour breastplate and is mirrored in its polished steel, the kind of opulent reflection that fascinated the short-lived genius Giorgio da Castelfranco, known as Giorgione, who revolutionised painting in Venice at the start of the 16th century. This is definitely in his style. The delicate use of oil paints, mysterious meaning, and haunting sensuality belong to the same Giorgionesque universe as his handful of definite works such as Laura and The Tempest. But like most works once attributed to him, it is now treated with suspicion by art historians. In this case, maybe it’s by a pupil or imitator. Whatever, this painting holds you with poetic hints of some untold story in the shadows.
• Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh