French school (XVII) - Ritratto di ecclesiastico

French School of the late 17th century, Portrait of an ecclesiastic, oil on canvas, 81.8 x 66 cm.

A painting of good quality in drawing and painterly execution: the classical setting of the subject and the same geometric construction of the darker areas, the background and the garment, converging toward the face, placed in full light to better bring out its psychological aspect and emotional rendering, mark the hand of an artist of excellent talent.

Interesting and to be explored further, deciphering better the text on the cartouche (which originally should have been on the back of the original canvas and transferred to the lining) in which the person portrayed is identified (Joseph...?) with the following indications of his father and brothers, in addition to mentioning the church of Saint Michel à la Bastide (d’Orge?): the lack of knowledge of the French language makes the best understanding difficult.

In generally good condition considering the painting’s age: under Wood’s light one notes a repainting on the face, below the right eye, otherwise other small retouches scattered along the margins of the composition.
No conservation problems are evident, as a result of a previous restoration that consolidated the paint layer and made necessary the lining and replacement of the canvas-support frame of the original canvas, which still shows signs of its pre-restoration fragility.

Within a period-style frame, but of modern manufacture, bringing the overall dimensions to 101 x 84.5 x 7 cm. The frame does not affect the assessment of the work and is to be considered included as part of the overall accessory. Given its function and the nature of the materials composing it, any damage during shipment cannot be ruled out and will not be a valid reason for a claim or order cancellation.
The utmost care for accurate packaging is guaranteed.

Photographs are an integral part of the description.

Shipping is trackable.
Nonetheless, higher shipping costs and times cannot be ruled out, due to export procedures and/or locations not regularly reached by shipping services (especially extra-EU): in such cases I will obtain personalized quotes based on the destination ZIP code and will make sure to inform the buyer so that they can share them, or, alternatively, withdraw from the purchase.