Lombard School Artist, Portrait of a Boy, 17th Century, Oil Painting on Canvas

Lombard School, 17th Century
Portrait of a Boy with an Apple

Oil on canvas
109 x 78 cm - 127 x 97 cm. with frame

The subject of the canvas offered is a plump boy, approximately five years old, a young member of a 17th-century aristocratic family. He wears sumptuous yet sober clothing, consisting of a large, short, bell-shaped cape with gold trim and buttons, which covers his red robe.

A closer look at the details of this beautiful portrait, and in particular the stylistic approach used to depict his features, links us to the great tradition of the 17th-century Lombard school. However, the details of the dress also reveal Spanish fashion influences, a more than plausible aspect given that during that period, Spain dominated Europe not only politically but also in fashion and customs (especially in Lombardy, under Spanish rule).

The gold detailing of the buttons and the red of the dress, a color echoed in the stockings and the bow that fastens the shoes, stand out against the almost monochrome setting in which he is portrayed.

The apple held in his hand is interesting. Traditionally, a reference to Venus's apple, it was included in portraits as a symbol of good luck, alluding to a future marriage; in wealthy families, it was customary to arrange marriages between descendants of noble families at an early age to strengthen their mutual power.

Perhaps the painting was therefore intended to represent a promise of marriage, commissioned as a presentation card for a small man to present to the future bride's family. In addition to the apple, he holds a hat under his arm, as if to emphasize his future as a fully-fledged member of high society.

Although it displays the rigor and austerity typical of portraiture of this period, they are tempered by the candid expression on his face, which gazes out at the viewer with a typically childlike sweetness.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold with a beautiful frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.