Study Head of a Bearded Man
Frans Floris, I·c. 1565
Historical Context
Frans Floris painted this study head of a bearded man around 1565, one of his powerful character studies that reflect his position as the leading Romanist painter in Antwerp. Floris had studied in Rome, absorbing the monumental figure style of Michelangelo and the antique, which he brought back to the Netherlands. His energetic, expressive painting influenced a generation of Netherlandish artists and represented the Italian-influenced current in Northern European art.
Technical Analysis
Floris's oil on panel demonstrates his bold, vigorous brushwork and the sculptural modeling inspired by Italian Renaissance masters. The expressive rendering of the bearded man's features shows his command of naturalistic anatomy enhanced by the dramatic lighting of the Italian Baroque tradition.
Provenance
Hans Jüngeling, The Hague, by 1961 [according to van de Velde 1975, pp. 234–35; and conversation of Martha Wolff with Alfred Bader, May 24, 2001]; sold to Alfred Bader, Milwaukee, 1964; sold, Christie’s, New York, May 31, 1990, lot 32; bought by the Art Institute of Chicago with funds given by Alfred and Isabel Bader, 1990
