Attributed to Claude Vignon

Attributed to CLAUDE VIGNON ( Tours, France, 1593 -1670).
"Male bust".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 80 x 68 cm.
We see in this canvas a bust portrait of a knight with a severe look, nailed in the spectator, without more symbols of his rank than the dignity that his face gives off, the sword that he holds under one of his arms and his clothes, which follow the prevailing fashion in the Europe of the time. The character stands out against a neutral, dark background. His face, vividly illuminated, is modeled precisely through the contrast of light and shadow, magnificently worked. Technically, the work stands out for the use of precise and defined brushstrokes. In addition to a use of light that falls on the flesh tones, highlighting the look, of great psychological depth. A halo of melancholy crosses it. It is a fundamental aspect of the portrait of the time, to convey the personality and mood of the portrayed, which was not expressed in previous times focused exclusively on the external appearance. Naturalism advocates the non-idealization of the countenance. In contrast to other contemporary trends in painting, which focused on decorativism, sober and measured elegance prevails in this portrait. Because of its subject, its half-length framing and its powerful chiaroscuro, this composition is aesthetically close to the painting of the French artist Claude Vignon, specifically to pieces such as the portrait of François Langlois that belongs to the collection of the David Museum and Cultural Centre or the portrait of a young singer that is in the Louvre in Paris.
Claude Vignon was a French painter, engraver and illustrator who worked in a wide range of genres. During a period of study in Italy. A prolific artist, his work has remained enigmatic, contradictory and difficult to define within a single term or style. His mature works are vibrantly colored, splendidly illuminated and often extremely expressive. Vignon worked with a fluid technique, the result of which was an almost electric brushstroke. He excelled especially in the depiction of fabrics, gold and precious stones. He received his initial artistic training in Paris from the mannerist painter Jacob Bunel, representative of the Second School of Fontainebleau. Although Vignon is not documented in Rome until 1618-19, it is likely that he resided there throughout that decade. There he was part of the French community of painters, including Simon Vouet and Valentin de Boulogne, both prominent members of the Caravaggisti, artists working in a style influenced by Caravaggio. After his return to Paris, he became one of the most respected, productive and successful artists in the city. His patrons included King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu, and he also worked for ecclesiastical patrons and private clients. He was associated with print publisher and art dealer François Langlois. Claude Vignon was a very versatile artist who assimilated elements of various styles, from Mannerism to Venetian, Dutch and German art. His style was influenced by the works of the Venetian Caravaggesque painter Domenico Fetti, the German Adam Elsheimer and the Dutch Jacob Pynas, Pieter Lastman, among others.