After Nicolas Tournier, The Lute Player, 1640, Oil on Canvas

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Nicolas tournier (montbéliard, 1590 – toulouse, c. 1638) workshop/follower

the lute player

oil on round canvas (diameter 46 cm. - … Read more Nicolas tournier (montbéliard, 1590 – toulouse, c. 1638) workshop/follower

the lute player

oil on round canvas (diameter 46 cm. - framed, diam. 61 cm.)

provenance: sotheby's london, old master paintings, 06.07.2000, lot 304 (as a follower of nicolas tournier), estimate: (6,350 - 9,500 eur), hammer price: (7,600 eur)

the compositional choice and style of this interesting portrait of a young lute player reveal a distinct caravaggesque approach at first glance, both in the strong chiaroscuro, expertly balanced here, and in the incidence of light, which, coming from an external source, brings out the solid figure of the musician from the monochrome background.

the young man is portrayed here in half-length, turned three-quarters, wearing an elegant plumed, fur-lined hat and a wide-sleeved amaranth-red shirt, topped with a sienna-colored vest and cape.

he looks at the viewer and seems to demand attention, listening to his melody, as if caught in the middle of an informal concert or a rehearsal session.

the mysterious allure emanates from numerous details in the painting that cannot go unnoticed: from the plump red of the lips, which stand out against the perfect oval of the face, to the dreamy gaze, magically captured live.

the musical instrument, arranged diagonally and held with great determination by the musician, stands out in the foreground, reaching out toward the viewer, thus breaking down the barrier between the painted and real space.

all these elements evoke the numerous figures of young musicians that caravaggio immortalized during his stay in rome—among the most celebrated are those in the "concerto" at the metropolitan museum of art in new york—a theme later taken up by numerous caravaggisti, followers of the master, who reinterpreted its content in the early decades of the 17th century.

an analysis of the work, in particular, allows us to compare its execution to a painter from the small circle of french artists who followed caravaggio in rome, evoking in particular the models conceived by nicolas tournier (montbéliard, 1590 – toulouse, c. 1638), an extraordinary artist who, along with nicolas régnier, was perhaps the most important of the french caravaggesques.

tournier lived in rome from 1619 to 1626, where he developed a pictorial style very similar to that of bartolomeo manfredi, caravaggio's contemporary and closest follower.

this type of subject is found in many of his compositions, which earned him great fame and collectors' acclaim, becoming his specialty. These works combine highly realistic characterization with striking iconography. Examples include the "guitar player" from the uffizi gallery in florence and the "flute player" from the pinacoteca tosio martinengo in brescia.

additional information:

the images were taken using a professional photographic set.

the painting is sold complete with a beautiful gold frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic . 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



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