Gregorio Preti (Taverna 1603 - Rome 1672) ., Gregorio Preti (Taverna 1603 - Rome 1672) . Portrait of a Young Man

Oil on Canvas

This intimate 17th century portrait captures the profile of a young man in a tight framing that focuses on the left shoulder and head The subject is dressed in a green jacket with a white scarf loosely knotted at the neck The rapid brushwork and the meticulous execution of the hair painted strand by strand to catch the light suggest the work may have been a preparatory study or a bozzetto for a larger composition The high contrast of light on the fabrics and the vivid red tones illuminating the face in shadow reveal a profound Caravaggesque influence characteristic of the artist solid cultural background The hand of Gregorio Preti brother of the more famous Mattia Preti is identified through a sensitivity to light mediated by the Neapolitan tradition of Jusepe de Ribera and the polished style of Giuseppe Vermiglio Stylistic comparisons with a series of portraits in Entraque Piedmont place the dating of this specific canvas around 1660. Oil on canvas 52 x 42.5 cm