Bidspirit auction | Michiel Sweerts: Portrait of a

Michiel Sweerts: Portrait of a Distinguished Gentleman in a Black Robe with a Lace Collar - SWEERTS , MICHIEL 1618/24 Brussels–1664 Goa Title: Portrait of a Distinguished Gentleman in a Black Robe with a Lace Collar. Technique: Oil on canvas. Mounting: Relined. Measurement: 66 x 56cm. Back: A section of the original stretcher frame set into the (later) stretcher frame, bearing details of the subject: ”Il Nobilis / Giulio (...)”. Frame: Framed. Although his name may not be as well known today as that of his successor, Jan Vermeer, Michael (also known as Michiel) Sweerts is nonetheless one of the most remarkable painters of the 17th century, with an astonishing body of work. In 1618, the son of a linen merchant was baptised in Brussels. Nothing is known about his training, but by 1646 the 28-year-old painter is documented as being in Rome. There he joined the circle of Dutch ”Bamboccianti”, who ”fused” the subjects of 16th-century Dutch painting with the techniques of the local Roman painting tradition. In 1646, Sweerts became a member of the Accademia di San Luca. His genre scenes and multi-figure paintings, depicting artists at work, evidently earned him recognition. Camillo Pamphilij, the nephew of Pope Innocent X, commissioned works from him and utilised his expertise as an art agent. The papal title of ”Cavaliere di Cristo” (Knight of Christ) was conferred upon him in recognition of his services. However, by 1655 Michael Sweerts was back in Brussels; the reason for his departure from Rome remains unknown. The painter becomes a member of the Guild of St Luke and now opens an art academy in his home town. Probably in the late 1650s, Sweerts, who was also a lay brother, joins the missionary organisation ”Missions Étrangères”. Via Amsterdam, where Michael Sweerts stayed for some time, he set off on a missionary journey to Palestine in 1661. In Persia, he left the missionary group and travelled to Goa in India, where he is said to have died in 1664, at the age of 46. Michael Sweerts’ paintings are particularly striking for his ability to bathe objects and figures in light in a very distinctive way against a predominantly dark background. The influence of Caravaggio, a painter more than a generation his senior, whose works Sweerts saw in Rome, is certainly evident here. However, the Brussels-based artist’s painterly finesse is quite unique in some of his works; his rendering of the world takes on a charged atmosphere, appearing at times almost photorealistic. The painting shown here depicts the half-length figure of a middle-aged gentleman of high social standing against a monochrome dark background. The sitter is depicted almost en face. His long brown hair falls in soft curls over his shoulders onto the wide, imposing ruff made of the finest lace. The black robe opens at the sleeves and at the doublet in slits from which lush white, fine cloth billows out. The clothing, as well as the indication that the sitter has blue eyes, suggest that he is Dutch. An old inscription from an earlier frame, preserved on the reverse of the modern frame, has not yet been satisfactorily deciphered, but might perhaps help to clarify the identity of the sitter. Dr Jonathan Bikker, curator of 17th-century Dutch painting at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, assesses this portrait, which had previously not been attributed, as an authentic work by Michael Sweert and as an interesting addition to his known oeuvre. Provenance: - Private ownership, Italy. Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Jonathan Bikker of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, who has confirmed the attribution on the basis of high-resolution digital photographs. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: The lot is unsuitable for parcel shipping. Transport only by shipping company after consultation following the auction. additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: max. 41.65 Euro over a total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: 1.8 o/oo USA by individual arrangement after the auction. #Michiel Sweerts #Dutch School/Flemish School #Bambocchant #The Netherlands #17th C. #Historical people #Painting #Old Masters.