Bolognese school of the early 17th century.

Bolognese school of the early 17th century.
Workshop of ANIBALE CARRACCI (Bologna, 1560 - Rome, 1609).
"Male portrait or St. Francis Xavier".
Oil on canvas.
Reinforced.
Measurements: 43 x 32,5 cm.

This expressive painting is a "studio di testa" and is conceived in the orbit of influence of the Bolognese school founded by the Carracci brothers (Annibale, Agostino and Ludovico) at the end of the 16th century. The work, datable to the early 17th century, directly reflects the revolutionary principles that Annibale Carracci and his academy defended as an antidote to the artifice of late Mannerism. The return to naturalism was one of the Carraci's principles, which is embodied in this head, which eschews formality and idealization in favor of the raw and honest capture of the model. The dramatic tilt of the head, the reddened skin on the cheeks, the sparse and unkempt beard, and the half-open mouth are details observed with almost scientific attention. This work perfectly embodies the practice of disegno dal vero (drawing from life), where artists studied fleeting expressions and human anatomy to give veracity and humanity to their great historical or religious compositions.