Lot Essay
Richter observed: 'The imposing appearance of the simply conceived composition is an evidence that the picture was executed by a Venetian artist contemporary with Titian and Tintoretto. The colours have unfortunately much darkened by the influence of time ...' Sir Ellis Waterhouse in 1949 suggested 'vaguely Brescian(?)' (annotation in his copy of the 1883 catalogue).
The contractions in the inscription may plausibly be expanded as 'ALEX[ANDER] AMA[...] PHI[LIPPI] F[ILIUS]' (Alexander Ama..., son of Philippo). Alternatively, the 'PHI' might stand for 'PHISICUS', alluding to the sitter's profession. In that case, the casket on the table would contain medicine, as in Titian's Portrait of Antonio Palma in the Staatliche Gemäldegalerie at Dresden (H.E. Wethey, The Paintings of Titian, II, The Portraits, London, 1971, no. 69, pl. 205).
We are grateful to Mr. Terence Mulally for suggesting a possible attribution to Francesco Torbido.
The contractions in the inscription may plausibly be expanded as 'ALEX[ANDER] AMA[...] PHI[LIPPI] F[ILIUS]' (Alexander Ama..., son of Philippo). Alternatively, the 'PHI' might stand for 'PHISICUS', alluding to the sitter's profession. In that case, the casket on the table would contain medicine, as in Titian's Portrait of Antonio Palma in the Staatliche Gemäldegalerie at Dresden (H.E. Wethey, The Paintings of Titian, II, The Portraits, London, 1971, no. 69, pl. 205).
We are grateful to Mr. Terence Mulally for suggesting a possible attribution to Francesco Torbido.