Portrait of a Gentleman - not signed but has name on back, visible canvas is approx 24x30

Unsigned
Name on back of canvas
A Orsolini
There is a great deal of information and history about the Orsolini family going far back -
Possible artist doing unsigned works https://www.google.com/search?q=gio...oni+paintings+portrait+of+a+gentleman&imgrc=_

 

Hi,
I think it is an Italian copy from the "Age of Touring". The original I think is 16th Century
greg

 

I think it might be a copy of a self portrait of Anthony Van Dyke.

 

It used to be common for art students to copy famous paintings as part of their learning process. A. Orsolini may have been the person who copied the Van Dyke portrait. I think the second one that say_it_slowly attached looks like the painting from which this was copied.

 

It's pronounced like that but spelled Van Dyck

 

Sorry, yes... I did know that. My brain slipped.

 

LOL long time Dick Van Dyke fan here, can you tell?

 

OH - What fun we are having now!

It's absolutely astonishing that you put your finger on the Dyck

 

There are a couple of Orsolini's around here so I don't think it's an uncommon name.

 

The pronunciation differs from the American pronunciation, since Antonie van Dijck, or Antoon van Dyck, came from the Low Countries. Dick van Dyke was of course an American with Dutch ancestry.
The a in van is pronounced like the Spanish pronunciation of the a in San Juan. The ij/y in Dijck/Dyck is more difficult, if anyone knows the French pronunciation of the 'eil' in 'vermeil', that is what it is close too.
Van Dyck came from Antwerp in Brabant (Brabant is divided by the Dutch-Balgian border, this part of Brabant is now Belgian) so the Brabant pronunciation of ij/y is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. It is close to the first e in never, with a slightly extended sound.

It is stunning when you see a van Dyck in 'real life'.
He is my favourite painter, apart from all the usual justified praise, no one paints the soul and subtle allusions to relationships like he does. Like this one, The Lomellini Family, extremely beautiful, but also a painting of a clearly dysfunctional family. Even the children are not looking at their mother, although she clearly wants a bond with them, her hand holding the hand of the boy.


Paintings of that time were full of symbolism. The gold chain over his shoulder in the self portrait could symbolize the bond between himself and his patron at the time, the British king Charles I.

 

It was by no means only students who made copies. An 1860 guide to the studios of Rome lists at least 16 professional copyists, some, but not all of whom, also painted portraits or other original works.

 

Good thoughts- Are you aware of any convention that would cause a painter to not sign a well executed work?