Portrait of gentleman
Attributed to ISAACK LUTTICHUYS
(London 1616 – Amsterdam 1673)
80 x 69 cm. (31,49 x 27,16 in.) Oil on canvas. 1650-60 ca.
Our work is a very typical portrait within the compositions of Isaack Luttichuys. Against a neutral background, a noble gentleman who presents himself with a very dignified pose typical of the portraits of the gentry of the Dutch Golden Age. The man brings his right hand to his chest, we observe that he holds his gloves, with a very solemn gesture. We observe the great skill of the author at the time of representing the embroidery of the suit that he accompanies with a tassel. These decorations contrast with the elegant and austere black suit that he wears. The composition is very balanced, a half-length portrait with a soft brushstroke. The light falls directly on the face of the gentleman who looks directly at the viewer, making it clear that he is the absolute protagonist of the work.
Isaack Luttichuys was born in London in 1616. Brother of the also artist Simón Luttichuys, who was an outstanding still life painter. Thanks to the documentation of the time we know that in 1638 he moved to Holland, staying in the city of Amsterdam, throughout his life, in which he died. In 1643 he married Elisabeth Adolfs Winck, who died at the age of two as a result of her second childbirth. In 1646 he married Sara Grebert with whom he had five children.
He specialized in portraits, which were highly appreciated and in demand in his day. His compositions are harmonious, idealized, with simple and elegant settings with a certain influence of Anton van Dyck. He liked to portray his clients in outdoor places, terraces with plants, beautiful courtyards with trees in the background, classic columns, mysterious ruins, etc. The shades are warm with light and soft colors. He masterfully plays with the contrast of the white of the sleeves and necklines with the black brocade of the dress. In his portraits it was quite common the appearance of symbols, a rose or a fan in the hand, a ring with a stone of a certain color, etc., that could have different meanings, purity, fidelity, commitment, modesty, according to the values of your time. Not all of his paintings were signed, sometimes he signed with initials, and his signature has sometimes been confused with that of his brother, Simon Luttichys.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Bernt, The Netherlandish Painters of the Seventeenth Century, 1969, volumen 2, p. 74, plates 708, 709
- R. Valentinr, I. Luttichuys, Art Quarterly, I 1938
- Benecit, Dictionnaire des peintres sculpteurs, desinateurs, et graveurs, 1999, tomo 8 p. 884.
- Catálogo Razonado, All the Paintings of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Ámsterdam, p. 355, plate C 1522, C 1477.
- Portraits in the Mauritshuis 1430 – 1790 , La Haya, p. 290, plate 722
- Noorman, “Los competidores de Rembrand”t, 1650-1670, en Rembrandt y el retrato en Ámsterdam, 1590-1670, Madrid, Fundación Colección Thyssen-Bornemisza, 2020, p. 239-243.
- AD de Vries Azn., Biografische aanteekeningen betreffende voornamelijk Amsterdamsche schilders, plaatsnijders, enz. en hunne verwanten ‘(III), Oud-Holland 3, 1885, p. 223-240
- WR Valentiner, Isaac Luttichuys. Un retratista holandés poco conocido, Art Quarterly 1, 1938, p. 151-179
- Schillemans, Review of Ebert 2009, De Zeventiende Eeuw 20, 2010, p. 113-115
PROVENANCE
- Antique Market, 1992, London, England.
- Lisanti Collection, Asti, Piedmont, Italy, from 1992 to 2020.
MUSEUMS
There are works by Isaack Luttichuys in the collections of museums in several cities, including: Museum of Rotterdam – Rotterdam (Netherlands), National Museum – Warsaw (Poland), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (USA), National Museum, Stockholm (Sweden), Kunsthalle – Hamburg (Germany), Sarasora Museum of Art – Florida (USA), etc.