# Question About Painting "An Old Man And His Grandson" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-painting-an-old-man-and-his-grandson/482362 "2009-01-21T21:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-painting-an-old-man-and-his-grandson/482362/1 "2009-01-21T21:50:05Z")
In the Painting [An Old Man and His Grandson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domenico_Ghirlandaio) by Domenico Ghirlandaio it shows the old man with bumps all over his nose and face. Is this a specific condition of any kind or is it an artistic statement or what? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-painting-an-old-man-and-his-grandson/482362/2 "2009-01-21T22:09:21Z")
Looks like rhinophyma, advanced rosacea on the nose. ETA: Son of a gun, guess which painting is on the Wikipedia entry for [rhinophyma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinophyma). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-painting-an-old-man-and-his-grandson/482362/3 "2009-01-21T23:25:05Z")
The painting was central to the “Renaissance Faces” exhibition that has just finished at the National Gallery in London and the clear consensus amongst art historians is indeed that it’s rhinophyma. For example, [Brian Sewell’s review](http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/arts/artexhibition-20649913-details/Renaissance+Faces:+Van+Eyck+To+Titian/artexhibitionReview.do?reviewId=23574496).