Daniele Crespi

DANIELE CRESPI, PORTRAIT OF A GENTLEMAN, BUST-LENGTH, OIL ON PANEL
Best known for his religious works, Daniele Crespi (1598-1630) was much in demand for his distinctive style, which represented a turning point between late Mannerism and the fertile Lombard Caravaggism. Some of his greatest works can still be seen in situ at the Carthusian monastery of Saint Ambrose in Garegnano, Milan, and in Pavia.
As well as being a brilliant painter of religious scenes, Crespi was also renowned for his profound portraits of singular intensity. The attribution of the present portrait, discovered in the late 1990s, was confirmed soon after its reappearance by the historian Franco Moro (F. Moro in L'Anima e il Volto. Ritratto e fisiognomica da Leonardo a Bacon, [exp. cat.], Milan, 1998, p. 234).
Though the execution of the portrait may seem to depart from the artist’s more fluid treatment of the faces of younger men, such as that of an anonymous sculptor in the Pinacoteca Brera, Milan (inv. no. Reg. Cron. 405), this is because the painter skilfully adapted a rougher style to the features of his model. The same lively execution with its incisive brushstrokes can be found in another portrait of an elderly man wearing a ruff, also in Milan (see N. W. Neilson, Daniele Crespi, Soncino, 1996, p. 39, no. 25).
The Milanese portrait, considered by Nancy W. Neilson to be a late work in the artist’s oeuvre, suggests a possible date for the present portrait of the late 1620s. At this time, the artist was reaching the zenith of his powers, exploring more dramatic chiaroscuro and vibrant realism. Unfortunately, Crespi would not have the opportunity to continue in this vein, destined for great success, as he was struck down by the plague of 1630.
- Peut-être collection Camilla, Lombardie (selon un cachet au revers du panneau). | Galleria Cantarini (no. inv. 129) (selon une inscription au revers du panneau). | Vente anonyme, Phillips, Londres, 15 avril 1997, lot 91 (comme 'studio of Domenico Feti'). | Collection Koelliker, Milan. | Edmondo di Robilant ; d'où acquis par l'actuel propriétaire en mars 2012.