Joseph Highmore Art

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...

Guido Reni (Bologna 1575 - 1642) Workshop of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (full details LINK) Oil on canvas Measurements (cm): 96 x 73 - with frame 112 x 88 This splendid work dep...

Guido Reni (Bologna 1575 - 1642) Workshop of Probably Gian Domenico Cerrini, the Cavalier Perugino (Perugia 1609 - Rome 1681) Saint Catherine of Alexandria Oil on canvas 65 x 5...

Peintre actif à Rome au XVIe siècle - entourage de Scipione Pulzone (Gaeta 1550 - Rome 1598) La Pietà (Christ mort soutenu par la Madone) huile sur t...

Portrait of a Lady as Venus ATTRIBUTED TO PIERRE GOBERT (1662-1744) FRENCH SCHOOL AROUND 1720 OIL ON CANVAS: H. 55.51 in, W. 42.91 in. IMPORTANT 18TH CENTURY GILTWOOD FRAME (RE-GILT)...

Pieter de Witte, also known as Peter Candid (Bruges, 1548 - Munich, 1628) - Workshop/School The Annunciation oil on canvas (cm): 79 x 110 - framed 92 x 127 We are delighted to present a fascinating work, dating back to the beginning of the 17th century, inspired by the prototype of the Annunciation created around 1586-1595 by Pieter de Witte, also known as Peter Candid (Bruges, 1540/1548 - Munich, 1628), which has been lost but made famous thanks to an engraving made and published by Jan Sadeler I (1550-1600). A painter of Flemish origin with strong affinities to 16th century Italianising culture, De Witte tackles the theme of the Annunciation numerous times, revealing knowledge of both Roman and Florentine Mannerism, inherited from his Italian sojourn. Some of these works are now housed in various international museums, in addition to autograph or workshop works that can be found in numerous public or private collections; in this regard, we may mention the following: - National Museum in Prague [1] - Carrara Academy of Bergamo, Angelo Annunziante and Vergine Annunziata [2]. - Finnish National Museum, Helsinki  - Private property, religious institution Bergamo (Bergamo area) Observing the composition, we can admire the rather well-established iconographic scheme, with the two figures immersed in an almost dreamlike atmosphere: the Archangel Gabriel on the left, of an ethereal beauty, appears imperious as he delivers the supreme annunciation to the Virgin Mary, who greets him with lowered eyes, composed in her amazement; surprised in the act of reading a book, she receives the white lilies...

The sitter is Mary Charlotte Anne Wellesly-Pole, eldest daughter of William, 4th Earl of Mornington and niece to the Duke of Wellington. This is one of Hoppner's best works. The sitt...

18th century, antique painting, oil on canvas, old master. Mother with child. Relined canvas. Stretcher frame also renewed. Artist unknown.

Ferrara school of the late sixteenth century - circle of Giuseppe Mazzuoli known as Bastarolo (Ferrara 1536 - 1589) St. Jerome penitent in the cave ...

Marcello Venusti (Mazzo di Valtellina 1510 - Rome 1579) workshop/circle Saint John the Baptist Oil on canvas (65 x 50 cm. -  In frame 74 x 58 cm.) The work depicts Saint John...

Artist/ School: French School, 18th century (unsigned) Title: Mary and the Infant Jesus Christ Medium: oil on canvas, framed Framed: 17 x 14.5 inches Canvas: 16 x 12.75 inches P...

In 1607, the Delft city council decided to commission a portrait of Stadholder Maurits of Nassau for the town hall, with Michiel van Mierevelt as the chosen artist due to the passing...