Portrait of an octogenarian gentleman, datable to around 1815, attributed to Giuseppe De Albertis (Arona 1863 - Gallarate 1845).
Old age has not diminished the spirit of the protagonist, who smiles amiably while his eyes twinkle with a hint of irony.
The artist precisely renders the numerous, small wrinkles that envelop the elderly protagonist's face, the thin skin now lacking elasticity and almost transparent, the wig worn without much care: it is an analytical but not crude realism, because empathy prevails over details and tempers the signs of aging.
In the portrait, De Albertis confirms his solid roots in Lombard realism, which he makes current in the new Romantic taste.
Oil on canvas, 47x35 cm, in a gilded cove frame, contemporary and original.
