Portrait of a Gentleman in Formal Dress, John Michael Wright (London, 1617 – London, 1694)

John Michael Wright
(London, 1617 – London, 1694)

Portrait of a gentleman in formal dress

Oil on canvas (127 x 94 cm. – In a gilded frame 140 x 106 cm.)

This charming, celebratory portrait shows a gentleman of high social standing proudly displaying his sumptuous formal attire.

It is a young man, with a voluminous wig that falls to his shoulders, with deep eyes and a calm, contemplative expression.

The artist's great skill is evident in his clothing: a dark coat, likely velvet or damask, richly decorated with embroidery and shiny buttons on the front and sleeves, with white lace cuffs. The whole thing is finished with an elegant white scarf tied around the neck and secured in a buttonhole on the jacket.

It is difficult to pinpoint the precise identity of the sitter, but he could be a member of the English upper class, a textile merchant for example, or a nobleman or a knight, given the accessories he holds in his hand: a staff on one hand, a sword on the other, and a large plumed hat.

The work is to be placed within the pictorial production of the portraitist John Michael Wright (London, 1617 – London, 1694), a point of reference for 17th-century English high society, appreciated for his style characterised by a sober yet elegant realism.

He travelled extensively in Europe and for this reason was considered an exceptionally cosmopolitan painter, whose success derived precisely from his propensity to blend various influences, from traditional English painting to French painting, and very predominantly Italian painting.

We know for certain that he spent a decade in Rome, where he quickly built a notable reputation, enough to earn him admission to the Accademia di San Luca in 1648. Wright subsequently went to Brussels, where he worked for Leopold Wilhelm, Archduke of Austria and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands.

In 1656 he returned permanently to London, working for the English court, although his great fortune derived from commissions outside the court (already monopolised by his main rival Peter Lely), and in particular he gained numerous patrons among the nobility and the upper middle class of London.

As we can see from the painting under consideration, his style, although less glossy than Lely's, had the great merit of being more penetrating and individual in its characterisation, with his models tending to appear thoughtful, rather than simply charming.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a pleasant frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

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