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17th Century Portrait of Reverend and Reformer John Calvin

The Portrait of a Bearded Man is an early work by Swedish artist Rune Kurt Haries Lagerbrink, who occasionally signed his works as "R. Lager." Painted in oil on cardboard. The old fr...

"The Artist’s Studio” — an interior scene of an artist’s atelier showing a painter, possibly Nicol himself, at work on a landscape. Signed E. Nicol, oil on canvas. Probably painted...

View of the Ariccia Bridge and the Alban Hills This finely executed plein air landscape depicts the monumental bridge of Ariccia and the town with the surrounding Alban Hills, painted by German landscape artist Joachim Ludwig Heinrich Daniel Bünsow (born 1821 in Kiel, died 1910 in the same city). Executed in oil on paper mounted on cardboard, the work dates from his Italian period between 1853 and 1858. Not signed. Bünsow received his artistic training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen from 1839 to 1848, studying under Johann Ludwig Lund and Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. In 1844, the Copenhagen Art Association acquired his painting "Tellingstedt in Dithmarschen." Following his studies, he traveled to Dresden, where he became associated with the circle around Johan Christian Dahl. A scholarship from the Copenhagen Academy enabled Bünsow to reside in Rome from 1853 to 1858. During this period, his landscapes evolved from the finely toned, naturalistic style of his early work to more atmospheric and idealized compositions, influenced by Louis Gurlitt. Bünsow's early works from his time in Copenhagen are characterized by fine tonality and naturalistic rendering, reflecting the style of his teacher Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. His Italian landscapes, however, exhibit a more atmospheric and idealized approach, influenced by Louis Gurlitt. Notably, Bünsow produced high-quality drawings during his time in Rome, some of which are preserved in the Kunsthalle zu Kiel. Historical Context: The Ariccia Bridge In the early 19th century, the local authorities sought to improve the Appian Way's safety and accessibility. The solution involved constructing bridges to span the Ariccia valley and adjacent ravines. In 1843, Pope Gregory XVI commissioned a six-arched bridge to address the elevation differences. Following his death in 1846, Pope Pius IX continued the project, entrusting architect Ireneo Aleandri with the design and Giuseppe Bertolini with the execution. Completed in 1854, the bridge stands as a significant 19th-century engineering achievement. Featuring three tiers of elegant neoclassical arches inspired by Roman art, it measures 59 meters in height and 312 meters in length. Travertine columns at both ends commemorate the Roman milestones...

The painting titled Portrait of a Boy in Profile, attributed to Friedrich Wasmann (1805–1886), exemplifies the refined portraiture characteristic of the Biedermeier period. Executed ...

Portrait Of Thomas Smythe (1514-1577), 16th Century School of Hans HOLBEIN (1497-1543) Fine huge 16th Century English Old Master portrait of Sir Thomas...

after HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER 1497 – 1543 PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM WARHAM Oil on canvas Image size: 38 x 35 inches (89 x 71 cm) Hand made period style frame The handling of the paint in...

Carlo Ceresa (San Giovanni Bianco 1609 - Bergamo 1679) attributable Full-length portrait of Giacomo Pesenti Oil on canvas (206 x 121 cm - in frame 212 x 133 cm.) This fascinating portrait, portraying a full-length gentleman and datable to the 17th century, illustrates the stylistic and compositional details typical of the pictorial production of the Lombardy area, Bergamo in particular. This reference is reflected in elements such as the natural light, the sober and austere setting and, above all, the subtle psychological characterisation of the face. We are inclined to identify the hand of portrait painter Carlo Ceresa, one of the most illustrious Bergamasque figure painters of the 17th century, capable of developing a style of intense realism and acute psychological investigation. In his works, and our portrait perfectly reflects his canons, an extraordinary naturalistic imprint, great realism and remarkable essentiality are evident. Those traits of severity, moral rigour and austerity typical of his portraiture find a perfect balance here: never courtly or rhetorical, his portraits are profoundly linked to the concept of counter-reform. Immortalising the main personalities of the time, he established himself as a point of reference for the Bergamasque aristocracy, from the Vertova to the Pesenti to the Secco Suardo. The subject of the portrait is Giacomo Pesenti, here immortalised life-size in a rigorous black suit, his left hand resting on a table, on which is placed the necessities for writing and a manuscript, and his right hand, with a sealed ring on his little finger, abandoned along his side while he holds his gloves. He wears a suit of incredible rigour, dressed as befits a man of his high social standing, while the sharp light focuses on his face, with an intensity that seems to be accentuated by the reflection of the white collar, with its sharp profile. For Ceresa, it is not the richness of the garment that gives value to the person portrayed, it is the need to give feeling and bring out the character of the person, and this he succeeds in marvellously, aided by his ability to capture the essence of the person and return it to us in painting through the face and light used as a strong expressive element. In fact, the image highlights that 'counter-reformed' composure typical of the portraiture of painters active in this area and era, adhering to a verism...

This fine late 17th-century Flemish portrait depicts a distinguished gentleman wearing a justaucorps, black cloak, white shirt, vest, leather gloves, and breeches. He’s carrying a wi...