Giusto (or Justus) Sustermans (Anversa, 1597 - Florence, 1681) School of
Portrait of Ferdinando II de' Medici (1610 - 1670), Grand Duke of Tuscany
Oil on canvas (cm. 133 x 97 - Framed, cm. 149 x 114)
FULL DETAILS OF THE WORK (CLICK HERE)
This elegant portrait, an excellent example of Florentine portraiture from the early 17th century, features the effigy of Ferdinando II de' Medici (Florence 1610 - 1670), Grand Duke of Tuscany, son of Cosimo II and Maria Maddalena of Austria.
The premature death of his father in 1621 marked the beginning of a long regency that lasted until he was 18 years old and could assume full control of Tuscany, a power previously shared with his mother and grandmother, Cristina of Lorraine (1565-1636).
The work presented is a derivation of the official full-length portrait that court painter Justus Sustermans (Anversa, 1597 - Florence, 1681) created around approximately 1625-27, thus around the time of the death of the depicted subject's father, and is currently exhibited at the Uffizi in Florence (Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Palatina) (img.1, https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/55837/).
Baptized in Antwerp in 1597, Sustermans initially trained with the Antwerp painter Willem de Vos and then in Paris with Frans Pourbus the Younger. In 1620, he traveled to Florence at the behest of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo II de' Medici, with a group of French tapestry makers. The following year, Sustermans was appointed court painter to the Medici and remained tied to the court as a portraitist for the rest of his life, producing a large number of portraits depicting the ruling family and their entourage, in various formats and poses.
He painted numerous portraits of Cosimo II's sons, working first for Ferdinando II, whom he immortalized during all the key phases of his life, and then for Cosimo III, many of which were sent to other courts for diplomatic purposes.
Sustermans' style initially derived from the court portraiture of Pourbus and the Flemish painters, but over his long career, the artist enriched it with inflections borrowed from the Florentine environment (Empoli, Giovanni da San Giovanni, Volterrano Rubens, who was a friend of the painter, Van Dyck, and Velázquez, whose works Sustermans had the opportunity to see in Rome). He finally arrived at his mature style after 1650, completing the effort to give his style ease and vigor. His great success and the study he needed to maintain would attract many followers and replicas.
As in the numerous existing versions and copies, Ferdinando is immortalized here standing, with his body almost frontal and his face turned slightly three-quarters, his gaze directed towards the viewer; he wears a magnificent, finely chased suit of armor with a gorget, from his waist hangs a belt to which the scabbard of a sword, of which the hilt is visible, is attached.
He has a proud posture that, despite his young age, projects an image of strong power and authority, with one hand on his hip and the other resting on a table, where the helmet adorned with rich feather decoration is placed.
There are several versions of this painting, all with slight variations, often executed with the collaboration of the workshop, many of which are now housed in the most prestigious public and private collections. Among these, we can certainly mention those in the Louvre (img.2), the Metropolitan Museum (img.3), the National Museum of Cardiff (img.4), or the National Museum of the Royal Palace in Pisa (img.5), as well as the half-length portrait also kept at the Uffizi (img.6).
- (img.2) Justus Susterman (school of), Portrait of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Louvre, Paris: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010065928
- (img.3) Justus Susterman (copy after), Portrait of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (n. 45.128.13): https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/110002219
- (img.4) Justus Suttermans, Portrait of Ferdinando II de' Medici, National Museum, Cardiff: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/grand-duke-ferdinand-ii-of-tuscany-16101670-160377
- (img.5) Justus Suttermans, Portrait of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale, Pisa: https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0900405979
- (img.6) Justus Suttermans, Portrait of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Palazzo Pitti, Florence: https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0900745806
Excluding crude versions, the most valuable works can pass through the most selective auctions with significant valuations; for example, we can mention one that passed through Christie's as a study by Justus Suttermans (Christie's New York, 26.10.2016, https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6028831) or one seen at Lempertz (Cologne 16.11.2019, https://www.lempertz.com/en/catalogues/lot/1141-1/1041-justus-sustermans-and-studio.html) (img.7 and img.8).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The work is sold complete with an antique wooden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.
We handle and organize the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.
Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information.
Follow us also on:
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/
