Juan de Zavala (1845) - Autorretrato de Tiziano

Magnificent nineteenth-century oil on canvas (Romantic Period), dated exactly 1845 and signed by the academic copyist painter Juan de Zavala. The work faithfully and with technical mastery reproduces the famous twilight Self-portrait of the Renaissance master from Venice, Titian Vecellio, whose original is housed in the Museo Nacional del Prado (Madrid). Signature and Historical Importance: The painting preserves on its left flank its valuable original handwritten inscription: "Juan de Zavala, año 1845". This precise dating documents the authorship of a painter with a career in full swing in the nineteenth century, a era in which copying the great masters in Madrid’s art collections was the ultimate test of dexterity and academic prestige. Pictorial and Technical Quality: The artist demonstrates an outstanding command of color and classicist drawing. He manages to capture perfectly the severity and the psychological dignity of the elderly Titian’s face, resolving with great solidity the textures of the long white beard, the folds of the dark garments, and the subtle golden glints of the gold chain. Condition and Patina: The canvas presents a beautiful old patina and a fine, uniform craquelure fully consistent with its more than 180 years of age. The painting is stable and is presented in a sumptuous carved and gilded period wooden frame that greatly enhances its presence. An exceptional piece for collectors of nineteenth-century painting and high decoration. Dimensions: 90x70 with frame, 80x60 without frame