Italian school; second third of the eighteenth... Lot 121
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Italian school; second third of the eighteenth century.
"Portrait of a cardinal".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 90 x 66 cm; 96 x 72 cm (frame).
In this canvas the cardinal is represented dressed with all the symbols of his rank, with the hood on his head and his clothes. However, the author dispenses with all superfluous ornamental elements since the painter concentrates the protagonism and the attention of the spectator on the face of the character. His expression is regal and sober, harmonizing with the rigidity of his posture.
Faced with the exuberant and elegant portrait, of virtuous and elaborate execution, at the beginning of the 18th century a general reaction was unleashed, based on compositional austerity and operational sobriety. Thus, as opposed to the desire for virtuosity of the previous century, portraitists recovered the previous models in a more sober and solid way, focusing on the characterization of the characters, the elegance of the poses and the delicate capture of the qualities of the different objects. The fact that this genre of painting developed in greater numbers is due to the commercial flourishing of these cities. This favored the beginning of an incipient bourgeoisie that gathered wealth, thus establishing itself in a higher social rank and favoring the development of a pictorial genre that favors pomp and personal recognition, such as the portrait.
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