Giovanni Montini, Portrait of a young man as Samson | Portrait d'un jeune homme en Samson

F. Baldassari, La Pittura del Seicento a Firenze, Turin, 2009, pp. 583-584, fig. 342. 

Giovanni Montini painted this Samson armed with the jawbone of an ass in a style close to that of his master, Jacopo Vignali (1592-1664), who was himself inspired by his contemporary Guercino (1591-1666) and interested in new post-Caravaggesque ideas. Known as artistic advisor to Giancarlo de' Medici, Montini admired the art of Felice Ficherelli and Simone Pignoni, while never rejecting his master’s influence. This fine portrait of a legendary biblical figure seems to be a work of the artist’s maturity, when he had absorbed several influences, while continuing to paint with the skills he had learnt from Vignali. 

___________________________________________

Giovanni Montini peint ce Samson armé d’une machoire d’âne dans un style proche de celui de son maître, Jacopo Vignali (1592-1664), lui-même inspiré par son contemporain Guerchin (1591-1666) et sensible aux nouveautés post-caravagesques. Connu comme conseiller artistique de Giancarlo de' Medici, Montini, sans renier son professeur, admire l’art de Felice Ficherelli et Simone Pignoni. Ce beau portrait d’une figure biblique légendaire semble être une œuvre de maturité de l’artiste qui a assimilé plusieurs influences tout en conservant le savoir-faire de son maître.