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16th-17th Century Gentleman’s Portrait Oil on Canvas by Francesco Zucco

About the Item

Francesco Zucco (circa 1575-1627) Gentleman’s portrait Measures: Oil on canvas, cm 120 x 140 The painting analyzed here belongs to the pictorial production of Francesco Zucco, an artist from Bergamo trained in Cremona at the Campi school. Back in his native city, he met the paintings of the countrymen Moroni, Cavagna and Salmeggia. Zucco, as a local tradition, had in portraiture the most significant qualitative part of his production, identifying in the effigiati both individual characteristics and their social status. This work highlights precisely this double value: the intense gaze, fixed, transmits the soul of this squire of the time while, all the rest, characterizes its position. It is an official portrait, to pass on to posterity the appearance of the effigy. The hat with the medal and the feather, the ring on his finger, the hilt of the sword, the costume denote him as a noble man, perfectly aware of the fashion of the time. Here is an in-depth analysis of the dress: the ruffle with perforated lace, cuffs, gold embroidery, the geometric games of the decorations of the overcoat. To describe this realization ability we can here take up the words of Tassi written in 1793 about the portraitist Zucco, praising him as one of the most excellent painters of the city: "It was his custom to make them in a very diligent and finished manner, with thin veils, with milky collars, with chopped dresses, with battlements or embroideries adorned, with plumes, necklaces, handles, all conducted with great diligence to perfection conducted". The same red drape, profiled with a golden hem, and the columns on the left, underline the personality of the effigy. The opening on the landscape, resolved with quick brushstrokes, recalls the most daring innovations of sixteenth-century Venetian painting.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 55.12 in (140 cm)Width: 47.25 in (120 cm)Depth: 1.19 in (3 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Period:
    Early 17th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    16th-17th Century
  • Condition:
    Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. The painting has been cleaned.
  • Seller Location:
    Milan, IT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU5918233438052
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