Bearded Man with a Beret
Jan Lievens·c. 1630
Historical Context
Jan Lievens painted this Bearded Man with a Beret around 1630, during his early years in Leiden when he and Rembrandt worked in close artistic dialogue. Lievens and Rembrandt were both pupils of Pieter Lastman and shared a studio in Leiden, influencing each other so strongly that their early works are sometimes difficult to distinguish. This character study or tronie reflects their shared interest in expressive heads and exotic costume.
Technical Analysis
Lievens's oil on panel shows bold, vigorous brushwork with dramatic lighting that emphasizes the textural contrast between the soft beret and the old man's weathered features. The strong chiaroscuro and broad handling distinguish his approach from Rembrandt's more nuanced tonal transitions of the same period.
Provenance
Estate of Marion Louise Nichols, Cambridge, Massachusetts;[1] private collection, Boston, from 1975; consigned by (Michael Filades, Boston) to (Hoogsteder-Naumann, Ltd., New York);[2] sold 6 June 1986 to George M. [1932-2001] and Linda H. Kaufman, Norfolk; transferred 31 August 2005 to the Kaufman Americana Foundation; gift (partial and promised) 2006 to NGA. [1] According to information provided by Otto Naumann to the Kaufmans (copy in NGA curatorial files), Marion Louise Nichols inherited the painting from her father, who presumably brought it to the United States in the early twentieth century. [2] Otto Nauman, e-mail to Jennifer Henel, 30 August 2011, in NGA curatorial files.
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