English school; end of the 17th century.

English school; late seventeenth century.
"Knight Order of the Garter".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 90 x 71,5 cm.
Portrait of a gentleman who presents the bust of a mature man wearing a wig. The man, as it is usual in the portrait painting of the epoch, is inscribed on a neutral background of dark tonality on which the clothes and the snowy face with rosy cheeks of the protagonist stand out. It is these touches of white that turn the face into the main focus of the piece's illumination. A resource through which the author enhances the corporeality of the figure, which is monumentalized with the darkness and the volume of the wig itself.
The position of the body, erect and with a straight back, combines a regal with an air of distinguished authority, to which is added the emblem of the order of the Garretera hanging from the neck. The oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry in the United Kingdom, founded in 1348 by King Edward III. Its motto, Honi soit qui mal y pense ("Let him be ashamed who thinks evil of this"), reflects an ideal of honor and fidelity. It is dedicated to St. George and composed of the monarch, the Prince of Wales and a limited number of knights chosen for exceptional merit.
The composition shows great skill in drawing, which gains prominence over color. An example of this is the use of a measured palette, without great stridency, in which the author has sought a balance between the different tonalities. Another common feature, typical of the portraits of this period, and which is reflected in this particular work, is the interest in capturing reality, truthfully reflecting the features of the protagonist, but without leaving aside the idealization, so we see an effigy with soft, rounded, and friendly forms. The man is fashionably dressed and the qualities of the fabrics are faithfully portrayed by the artist.