Counterpoint Contemporary More Art

A fine tonalist landscape with colorful twilight sky at the end of the day by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and wen...

Titan Fine Art presents this exquisite oil on panel portrait depicting a handsome young gentleman in an exuberant black damask doublet. The pose, with one hand holding gloves and the other akimbo, was one that was well-established for gentleman of the upper echelons of society by the time this work was painted. The principle governing portraits at this time was the recording and defining in visual terms of the position of a sitter in society. In addition to brilliant and complex symbols of luxury, they often contained many symbolic elements too; the inclusion of gloves was often used in portraits that celebrated a betrothal as in ancient times gloves were used to seal a marriage contract. The extraordinary costume of a black shimmering doublet, the brilliant white reticella ruff, and the cuffs edged with lace were immensely costly… this attire proclaims to every onlooker that this is a superior being. The rendering of the reticella lace ruff is exquisite and the artist has recorded the design that runs through the black damask fabric with meticulous attention to detail. The preservation of this black pigment is remarkable considering the age of the work. Black pigments are especially vulnerable to fade and wear over time partly due to environmental condition but also from unprofessional cleaning. This work is an exquisite example from the period. According to the inscription in the upper right, the gentleman was in his 22nd year of age in 1624. The coat of arms, which is displayed without a crest, may be ‘blazoned’ in the language of heraldry, as: Sable on a Chevron between in chief two Roundels and in base a Billet [or possibly Square] Or three Martlets Sable. In plainer English this means a black (Sable) background, spanned by a gold (Or) chevron, above which are two golden solid circles (Roundels), and below which is a gold rectangle (Billet); on the chevron are three small black birds (Martlets). Martlets are a stylised form of heraldic bird, believed to be based on the swift, which are conventionally drawn with small tufts instead of feet. In Continental Europe it is also conventional for them to be drawn without beaks, as appears to be the case here. The birds in this instance also have a vaguely duck-like appearance. Five families have been identified with very close armorial bearings to the one in our portrait. They are the (van) Houthem’s (of Brabant), the Prévinaire’s (of Flanders and Holland), and the Proveneer’s (of Liège) and it must be noted that the locations of these families also fit with the painting’s Flemish origins. However the French Grenières’s (of Île-de-France) and the Jallot’s (of Normandy) are the next closest matches and plausible matches, as Frans Pourbus had settled in Paris just a few years before our portrait was painted. This painting has been assessed by a professional conservator prior to going on sale, and as thus, it can be hung and enjoyed immediately. Frans Pourbus the Younger...

A pleasant tonalist landscape with twilight over the marsh by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went on to become w...

A fine tonalist landscape with leaves beginning to change by a marsh by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went on t...

A fine tonalist landscape with a break in the trees by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went on to become well kno...

A nicely executed tonalist landscape with a girl and her sheep by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went on to beco...

A fine tonalist landscape with a brook and boulder by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went on to become well know...

A fine tonalist landscape oil painting by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went on to become well known as a tonal...

A fine impressionist painting of peonies on a palette by French artist Felix François Georges Philibert Ziem (1821-1911). Ziem was born in Beaune,...

A fine vertical tonalist landscape with cabin and figure by American contemporary artist Dennis Sheehan (b. 1950). Sheehan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went on to become wel...

This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. "Morning Hike" by Cat Tesla is an abstract journey that evokes...