Caravaggista school of the 17th century.
"Portrait of a young man".
Oil on canvas. Re-coloured.
It has an export permit.
It presents additions in the corners.
Measurements: 52 x 43 cm.
In spite of the additions it is probable that in origin this work was of oval format. A directed and completely artificial light configures this portrait of dark and earthy tonalities. Through the contrasts of light, the author of this painting shapes the volumes of the main figure in the scene. The figure stands in the centre of the composition, looking towards the viewer and laughing, making him a participant in the scene. The subject matter combines the genre of portraiture, captured from an archetypal point of view, and genre painting, as the artist presents a figure who represents the picaresque nature of a certain social class, since upper-class portraits never showed their teeth when smiling.
The palette and qualities denote the influence of the 17th-century Italian Caravaggist school. The skilful use of chiaroscuro lends drama to the scene while defining the space naturally. The emphasis on expressiveness is also a Caravaggist device. Stylistically, the work shows a clear influence of Caravaggio and the followers of his style such as Nicolas Tournier (Montbéliard, 1590 - Toulouse, 1639), Orazio Borgianni (1578-1616), Cario Saraceni (1580-1620), or Bartolomeo Manfredi (1580-1620), among others. The theatrical use of a powerful spotlight, the combination of strong illumination with areas of darkness, the use of diagonals, the use of models inspired by the common people and realism were common features in the work of these painters. Caravaggio's influence was profound in the new Baroque style that emerged from Mannerism and can be traced in the works of great masters such as Pedro Pablo Rubens, José de Ribera, Rembrandt and Diego Velázquez, as well as in countless artists of the following generation, who were called "Caravaggists" or "Tenebrists" because of their profound influence.