Workshop of Giusto (O Justus) Sustermans, Portrait of Ferdinand II De' Medici, 1650, Oil on Canvas, Framed

Details

Description

Giusto (or justus) sustermans (antwerp, 1597 - florence, 1681) workshop of
portrait of ferdinando ii de' medici (1610 - 1670), … Read more Giusto (or justus) sustermans (antwerp, 1597 - florence, 1681) workshop of
portrait of ferdinando ii de' medici (1610 - 1670), grand duke of tuscany

oil on canvas (133 x 97 cm - framed, 149 x 114 cm)

this elegant portrait, an excellent example of early 17th-century florentine portraiture, features the effigy of ferdinando ii de' medici (florence 1610 - 1670), grand duke of tuscany, son of cosimo ii and maria maddalena of austria.

his father's premature death in 1621 marked the beginning of a long reign that lasted until, at the age of 18, he assumed complete control of tuscany, previously shared with his mother and grandmother, christina of lorraine (1565–1636).

the work presented is a derivation of the official full-length portrait that the court painter justus sustermans (antwerp, 1597 – florence, 1681) painted approximately around 1625–27, thus around the time of the sitter's father's death, and is currently on display at the uffizi gallery in florence (palazzo pitti, galleria palatina).

baptized in antwerp in 1597, sustermans initially trained with the antwerp painter willem de vos and then in paris with frans pourbus the younger. In 1620, he traveled to florence, at the behest of the grand duke of tuscany, cosimo ii de' medici, with a group of french tapestry weavers. The following year, sustermans was appointed court painter to the medici family and remained associated with the court as a portraitist for the rest of his life, producing a large number of portraits depicting the ruling family and their entourage, with varying angles and poses.

he painted numerous portraits of cosimo ii's children, working first for ferdinand ii, whom he immortalized throughout all the key phases of his life, and then for cosimo iii, many of which were sent to other courts for diplomatic purposes.

sustermans's style initially derived from the court portraits of pourbus and the flemish school, but over the course of his long career, the artist enriched himself with influences borrowed from the florentine milieu (empoli, giovanni da san giovanni, volterrano rubens, who was a friend of the painter, van dyck, and velázquez, whose works sustermans had seen in rome). He finally reached his mature style after 1650, completing the effort to imbue his style with ease and vigor. His great success and the study he had to maintain would attract many followers and replicas.

as in the numerous extant versions and copies, ferdinand is immortalized here standing, his body almost frontal and his face slightly turned three-quarters, his gaze directed toward the viewer. He wears magnificent armor with a finely chiseled gorget, from whose waist hangs a belt holding the scabbard of a sword, the hilt of which is visible.

he holds a proud posture that, despite his youth, projects an image of powerful authority. One hand rests on his hip and the other on a table, where his helmet, adorned with a rich plumed decoration, rests.

there are several versions of this painting, all with slight variations, often executed with the collaboration of the workshop, many of which are now held in the most prestigious public and private collections. Among these, we can certainly mention those in the louvre (image 2), the metropolitan museum (image 3), the national museum of cardiff (image 4), or the museo nazionale di palazzo reale in pisa (image 5), as well as the half-length portrait also preserved in the uffizi.
excluding rough versions, the most deserving works can reach significant prices at the most selective auctions; for example, we can mention the one sold at christie's as a study by justus suttermans (christie's new york, 26.10.2016) or the view by lempertz (cologne 16.11.2019) (images 7 and 8).

additional information:

the work is sold complete with an antique wooden frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less