Oil On Panel From The 16th Century Portrait Of A Noble Man

Fine oil on panel portrait of a nobleman dating from around 1585 attributed to Lambert Sustris. The beautiful red-haired model is pictured mid-length on rocks and foliage. He wears the saturated black clothing associated with high-ranking gentlemen in 16th-century Veneto. In the previous century, men had appeared in purple and scarlet, and although brightly colored clothing continued to be worn occasionally under black overdresses, by the end of the 16th century fashion was dominated by black. Black was the most expensive dye and was therefore a very fashionable color - as an indicator of wealth, taste and understated elegance by European elites. This young man wears a coat from which his gestural hands appear, as if to emphasize his action and his authority. He accessorizes his black dresses with a modest white linen collar trimmed with lace. This linen had a variety of qualities - up to 40 different degrees of fineness. To complete his outfit, he appears to be holding a pair of leather gloves (or perhaps a document) which he grips tightly with one hand. We might expect this guardian to also have a hat - probably made of wool or black felted fur, we might be able to spot it hidden under his jacket, next to his chest. Lambert Sustris (c. 1515-1520 – c. 1584) Sustris was a Dutch painter active mainly in Venice. The works made by Sustris in Italy exhibit either a mannerist style or qualities that can be considered proto-baroque. He is also called Alberto de Olanda (Albert of Holland). He was born in Amsterdam and did not arrive in Venice until he was over 40 years old. His training is unknown, but he was used by Titian's workshop for the representation of landscapes. He accompanied Titian on his trips to Augsburg in 1548 and 1550-1551 and painted portraits there. Back in Venice, he was influenced by Parmigianino and Andrea Meldolla. He was the teacher of Girolamo Muziano. As Muziano scholar Patrizia Tosini has noted, Sustris's works, through his student Muziano, are an important means by which mid-16th-century Venetian interest in landscape and its role as a canvas of background for historical subjects spread to Rome in the mid-16th century. end of the 16th century. His son was Friedrich Sustris. On the reverse of the panel, we can see the remains of a landscape, populated by figures draped in a classical manner. This work is in an excellent state of conservation. The panel is stable and has benefited from a light cleaning and a new varnish. It is housed in its probably original blackened frame which has a magnificent aged patina. Higher resolution images on request. Worldwide shipping available. Panel: 13" x 17" / 33 cm x 43 cm. Framed: 18.5" x 33" / 47 cm x 84 cm.