Flemish School From The 16th Century. Young Man In Black Hat And Fur Collar

Workshop of Joos van Cleve Oil on parqueted oak panel Presented in a beautiful “Cassetta” frame decorated with gold arabesque motifs. Dimensions with frame: 87 x 72 cm. The panel: 70 x 54 cm Portraited in bust and full face on a dark background, this handsome young man does not wear a beard, although it was very fashionable at that time. He is wearing a black velvet cap and dressed in a loose garment of heavy black moire fabric from which protrudes a pleated white linen shirt with a finely embroidered collar (Finesse and its whiteness were a sign of social distinction). His shoulders are covered with a large fur collar, almost like a stole. The right hand on his chest, which the painter has particularly succeeded to the point of detecting its venous network, as well as the modeling of the face with beautiful contoured lips, testifies to a great mastery of his art. In the midst of the Renaissance, the taste for portrait galleries was at its peak and works painted on wooden panels were highly sought after. The coat of arms at the top left (hanging from a nail) is, according to an inscription, that of the Sandelin family. Originally from Flanders and ennobled by Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire in 1503. Joos van Cleve, born Joos van der Beke, is a Flemish painter of the Antwerp school presumed to originate from Cleves or the surrounding area of this German city located on the of the Rhine. His date of birth is unknown. He died in 1540 or 1541 in Antwerp. His first documented activity was that of assistant to Jan Joest van Kalkar (1460-1519) during the creation of a high altar in the church of Saint-Nicolas in Kalkar, completed in 1508. -1509. Then, he stayed in Bruges, then he settled in Antwerp. He is known for his portraits and religious paintings. He did not hesitate to copy fashionable motifs, such as the Virgin and Child, which sold well. His name appears for the first time in Antwerp in 1511 in the register of the guild of Saint-Luc in Antwerp, where he is registered as master. He was also its dean three times, in 1519 (the year of his marriage to Anna Vydts), 1520 and 1525. He had several students, including his son Cornelis van Cleve. Shortly after 1530, he worked for a while for the French court where he painted, among others, the portrait of Francis I and that of his wife Éléonore de Habsburg. Around 1536 (?) he made that of the King of England, Henry VIII. Very good state of conservation. Sold with a certificate.