Verona. First half of the 17th century (1600 -... Lot 307

Verona. First half of the 17th century (1600 - 1650). Head of a man Oil on paper applied to panel 39.5 x 26 cm Other inscriptions: inventory number "74" on the recto Distinctive elements: on the recto, a label with inventory reference ("74") Conservation status. Support: 80%. Conservation status. Surface: 80% (additions and retouches). The painting, oil on paper, is difficult to place, but for several elements it recalls painting between Bologna and Verona in the first half of the 17th century. Daniele Benati, upon examination on a photographic basis, excludes that the sheet can be traced back to the Carracci, but catches an assonance, later abandoned, with Fra' Semplice da Verona (communication of July 24, 2023). In the wake of this suggestion, it seems to recognize a similarity also with another Veronese author, Pasquale Ottino (1578-1630), whose "Portrait of an Olivetan Monk," dated 1610 and preserved in the Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona, is comparable. Note in particular the fast, parallel brushstrokes defining the moustache and lips, the overbearing eyelids, the important external nostril, and the tendency to geometrize the physiognomy. We thank Prof. Daniele Benati for his support in cataloging the work.