Giacomo Moretti (1939) - Ritratto Maschile

AUTHOR

Giacomo Moretti (1939). It is not clear whether he was born in Naples or Cava de' Tirreni. His artistic training is deeply linked to the tradition of the Neapolitan realist school, drawing inspiration from masters such as Antonio Mancini and Vincenzo Irolli, but also from the great names of the Seicento like Giordano and the Caravaggisti. This background has shaped his style, characterized by rapid brushstrokes and thick impasto. His body of work has two well-distinct strands, one figurative in nature and influenced by the Caravaggisti, often associated with private commissions. Another where the figurative interacts with neo-expressionist and neo-impressionist sensibilities, more connected with the artist's free production.

His career found a moment of strong momentum in Naples where, in 1971, he received the diploma with a gold medal on the occasion of the First Neapolitan Biennial of Contemporary Painting. Despite his reserved nature and the rarity of monographic publications dedicated to him, he is an artist featured in the prestigious Dizionario Comanducci, a benchmark for Italian painting of the 19th and 20th centuries. After initial successes in Italy, Moretti moved to France, settling in La Rochelle, where he continued his activity, receiving favorable responses from international collectors.

Although he is not an artist with frequent exhibitions, his works have appeared at important Italian and European auction houses, testifying to a well-established market valuation. His production focuses predominantly on genre scenes and portraits, often of young women or popular figures whose faces are marked by time. In addition to the aforementioned Biennale of 1971, his works regularly appear in group exhibitions and survey shows dedicated to promoting the leading figures of Italian figurative painting of the late twentieth century.

Description

"Male Portrait", oil on panel, 72×62 cm with frame, 45×35 cm the panel alone, signed at the bottom right, datable to the 1970s of the 20th century.

It presents an intense close-up of a popular male figure, whose face emerges from a forest of brushstrokes as if carved by time. The subject, characterized by unkempt hair, thick mustache, and a melancholic gaze directed downward, embodies Moretti's interest in "marked figures." The figure seems wrapped in heavy, disheveled clothing, defined by lumps of color that erase details in favor of a purely emotional rendering.

The composition is dominated by a violent neo-expressionist impulse, where the figurative element is almost overwhelmed by the fervor of the stroke. The brushwork is extremely loaded, "thick" and tactile, with color used in layers and decisive palette knife strokes. The face is built on warm, earthy tones, with sudden flashes of ochre yellow and white that define its volumes under a strong, direct light. In the background, the use of dusty blues and grays creates a cold contrast that pushes the subject forward. The lines of force are chaotic, especially in the rendering of the hair and beard, where the brush moves with an agility that recalls the dynamism of action painting, while remaining anchored to the portrait genre.

This work is a paradigmatic example of the second strand of Moretti's production: that of free inquiry, where the solid foundation of the Neapolitan realist school and the influences of masters such as Irolli and Mancini merge with the neo-impressionist and neo-expressionist currents of the late twentieth century. A painting of refined and dynamic execution, with both its emotional rendering and its aesthetic expression being significant.

Condition Report

Overall condition is good. The work shows vivid and clearly legible color and brushwork. The frame is included as a complimentary item.

Tracked and insured shipment with adequate packaging.