Lot 174
  • 174

Anthonis Mor

Estimate
150,000 - 200,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Anthonis Mor
  • Portrait of a gentleman, half-length, wearing a black suit
  • oil on panel (Wood, Other-Oak)

Condition

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting has been restored, although not recently, and should be hung as is. It is painted on two pieces of oak joined vertically through the center. The panel is stable, as is the paint layer. The join may never have been broken and is only visible on the reverse. An attractive patina still remains on the surface, visible in the ruff and in the cuffs, and there is no indication that the picture needs any further restoration. There is a little retouching visible under ultraviolet light in the face, a few small spots in the forehead and in the beard and lips. In the background there are a few isolated spots and similarly in the coat, mainly in one patch in the center left. The hands, the book and table top in the lower left are beautifully preserved. There has been some woodworm to the frame which seems to be leaving a little dust to the picture yet the painting itself does not appear to have been affected, except possibly to one small spot in the upper left background. The picture should be hung as is but the frame should be replaced or repaired.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Catalogue Note

Considered one of the foremost portrait painters of his time, Anthonis Mor (also called Antonio Moro or Moro van Dashorst) was a pupil of Jan van Scorel.  He spent most of his career as court portraitist to the Habsburgs in Brussels, but also traveled to Spain, Portugal and England. From about 1554 he lived in Utrecht and from 1568 chiefly in Antwerp, where he died in circa 1576.

The present portrait is characteristic of Anthois Mor's style from about 1554 after his return to the Netherlands from Italy.  His Italian sojourn was a formative experience for Mor and he readily adapted many elements of Italian painting to his own style.  Titian in particular had a great impact on Mor's work as can be seen in the present painting.  Remarkable for the immediacy and presence which Mor has given to his sitter, the gentleman is depicted against a rich, dark background.  His black doublet, the velvety texture of which Mor has beautifully captured, recedes into this backdrop further emphasizing the man's face and hands, which Mor has set off vividly by the white linen collar and cuffs peeking out of the doublet's neck and sleeves.  The translucent frills on the collar and cuffs have been rendered with incredible delicacy and technical skill, while the two thin cords at the man's neck provide an immediate focus for the eye and draw attention to the man's face.  Mor uses this device in other portraits, including his Portrait of Metgen, Wife of the Artist in the Prado, Madrid (inv. no. 2114).  The artist has further emphasized his sitter's personality by bathing his face and hands in bright, sweeping light, thus bringing these markers of personality to the forefront of the composition.  The delicate precision of the brush-strokes and the smooth patina of this panel further contribute to the overall quality and power of this work.

Here, the attribution to Mor seems particularly compelling based on stylistic and technical similarities to his other works.  For example his Self-portrait (Florence, Uffizi, inv. no. 1637), which utilizes the same three-quarters profile, anatomically accurate ear and piercing eyes that engage directly with the viewer. 

We are grateful to Dr. Andrew John Martin for confirming the attribution to Anthonis Mor based on photographs. He has suggested a dating to after 1555 for the present work.