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176
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Salvator Rosa (attributed to) Profile of a Philosopher oil o…
See original version (Italian)
176
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Salvator Rosa (attributed to) Profile of a Philosopher oil o…
See original version (Italian)
Estimate €1,000 - €3,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Salvator Rosa (attributed to) Profile of a Philosopher oil on canvas 41 x 34 cm
An intense depiction of an erudite ancient philosopher in profile, deep in thought. The figure emerges from the background with a strong sense of three-dimensionality: the chiselled profile, the long, flowing beard and the vibrant ochre-yellow cloak all combine to create an image of great evocative power.The work shows striking similarities with the series of ‘character heads’ and philosophers produced by Salvator Rosa during his mature years in Rome, particularly in terms of the expressive tension of the face, the concise yet incisive brushwork, and the preference for intensely introspective human types. The chiaroscuro composition, combined with the carefully calibrated colour palette featuring deep browns and flashes of gold, also evokes that Roman-Neapolitan figurative tradition which, during the seventeenth century, developed a distinctive interpretation of Caravaggesque naturalism.The particular iconography of the figure takes on further interest in the light of Maurizio Marini’s expert assessment, which attributes the painting to the circle of Carlo Maratta. According to the scholar, the work is in fact linked to the period of restoration work undertaken by the master from the Marche region in the Vatican Rooms, and in particular to the wall depicting Raphael’s ‘School of Athens’. The subject is thought to derive from one of the philosophers depicted in Raphael’s famous fresco, reinterpreted in an independent style and with heightened chiaroscuro intensity.Whilst sharing Marini’s interest in the Roman classicist tradition, the quality of the brushwork, the strong emotional tension in the face and the dramatic naturalism of the composition seem to bring the painting closer to the figurative style of Salvator Rosa, particularly his famous philosopher’s heads painted during his stay in Rome. The concise yet vibrant rendering of the subject matter, combined with the intense and meditative use of light, suggests, in fact, a more convincing attribution to the Neapolitan master. Set in an 18th-century French frame. Set in an 18th-century French frame. The painting is accompanied by an expert report by Maurizio Marini, who attributes the work to Carlo Maratta.
See original version (Italian)
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Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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