Flemish school; c. 1800.

Flemish school; c. 1800.
"Bust of an old man".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 43 x 34 cm, 60 x 51 cm (frame).
Portrait of great naturalism in which an old man's bust is represented on a neutral background. The face is the absolute protagonist of the work, magnificently modeled through a wise use of lights and shadows, with successful hallmarks that enhance the plasticity of the features. The character is treated with a dramatic and deep mysticism, and despite not showing any attribute, we could be facing a representation of St. Peter. The saint could be represented at the moment of his repentance, in the cell, after having denied Christ three times. Thus, it could be a suffering, mystical representation, very much in the taste of the time, which seeks to move the spirit of the faithful who pray before the image.
The technical quality, the realism and the veracity of the face of the protagonist bring the work closer to the style of the Flemish school. A school in which the portrait, both individual and group, and even that of character, tried to embody the relations of the individual with society, thus popularizing its creation. This genre covers a third of the total production of the Flemish school.