Head of a Man in Blue

Artist: Giacomo Francesco Cipper (Italian, 1664 - 1736)

Original Dimensions: 18 1/2" x 14 1/4"

Location: National Gallery of Art, London

About Artwork: (Early 18th century) "A man looks out at us with his shirt opened to reveal his neck, disfigured by a goitre (a swelling caused by an enlarged thyroid gland). Despite suffering this medical condition, he has an amused expression and the artist has portrayed him sympathetically. He is evidently poor, as can be seen by his ragged clothes – the blue jacket he wears has been roughly stitched at the seams. This painting’s style and subject matter are typical of Giacomo Francesco Cipper, an artist active in Lombardy in the early eighteenth century. The artist has applied thick brushstrokes (for example, on the man’s temple) and has left the reddish-brown ground exposed to form the shadows in the darker areas (for example, around his eyes). The animated brushwork gives movement and life to the figure, as does the off-centre pose, and tilt of the head. This characterful portrait is a pair to Head of a Man in Red, also in our collection." - (National Gallery of Art, London)