Along with Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, del Sarto was one of the most prominent painters in Renaissance Florence, yet only a small number of portraits by him have survived. This newly discovered likeness of an unidentified patrician – it has been suggested that the sitter might be identified as Ottaviano de’ Medici (1484-1546) – is thus a wonderful addition to this rare genre by del Sarto’s hand and dates to the most prolific decade in his career. He painted this mature portrait in the mid-1520s after a presumed trip to Rome where he would have seen Raphael’s latest work. The serenity and poise of the sitter, complemented by the luxurious sleeve, and the immediate simplicity of the composition attest to del Sarto’s admiration for Raphael’s latest style. The viewer encounters the elegant man, who seems to be carefully unboxing what has been suggested to be wax seals or pigments. The colourful objects in the box are yet to be identified with certainty, and his pensive gaze encourages much speculation about their significance for the sitter, who is driven to deep thought over the objects at his fingertips.

Andrea del Sarto
(Florence 1486-1530)
Portrait of a Man Wearing a Large Hat
oil on canvas
81 x 64 cm. (31.9 x 25.4 in.)
mid-1520s

READ LESS

De Heem painted this opulent piece when he settled back in Utrecht in the mid-1660s, after living in Antwerp for 25 years. It was at this time that he moved away from the looser Flemish Baroque style to a more polished technique with a greater affinity for detail, as demonstrated here. De Heem flaunts his technical virtuosity on a grand scale, elaborately depicting a contrasting play of textures, surfaces and colours, making this one of his finest and most important still lifes. Due to its considerable history and restitution provenance, the painting was on loan to the Centraal Museum in Utrecht for nearly 70 years, which makes it one of the most extensively researched and published still lifes by this master, featuring in twelve international exhibitions. With this long-term loan to the Getty Museum, The Klesch Collection is honoured to add to the painting’s rich history of being on public display.

Jan Davidsz. de Heem
(Utrecht 1606 – 1684 Antwerp)
A Banquet Still Life
oil on canvas
139.2 x 115.1 cm. (54.8 x 45.3 in.)
mid 1660s

READ LESS