Dutch school of the XVII century.

Dutch school of the XVII century.
"Evangelist".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
Measurements: 53,5 x 40 cm.

This painting, ascribable to the Dutch school of the XVII century and akin to the style of the master mannerist Hendrik Goltzius, reveals a powerful synthesis between the Nordic technical virtuosity and the anatomical theatricality inherited from Italian classicism. The figure, probably an evangelist, is depicted half-length, in a composition that, by almost completely occupying the pictorial plane, emphasizes his imposing and almost sculptural presence. The body rests lightly on a protruding tree trunk. His gaze directed upwards, of marked expressive intensity, suggests a state of ecstasy, common in representations of saints or evangelists immersed in divine contemplation. This twisting of the face and neck, with the chin raised, is clearly rooted in Mannerism, recalling the models of Goltzius and his circle, where the anatomy becomes a vehicle for emotional exaltation. Particularly notable is the treatment of the hands, of intensified proportions, with accentuated articulations and bulging veins, almost like a map of internal tensions. It is a characteristic resource of Goltzius, who in his engravings and paintings often exalted muscles and tendons to give the body an almost rhetorical eloquence. The atheistic skin, together with the angular features, endows the character with a severe dignity.