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GONZALES COQUES (1618 - Antwerp - 1684)
PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG MAN
Oil on copper (oval)
15.1 x 11.2 cm, 6 x 4 ¾ inches
Painted in 1642-45
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The present portrait is a typical work of Gonzales Coques, who excelled in small likenesses. The facial expression of the fashionably dressed cavalier is lively and realistic. Unfortunately the gentleman’s identity remains unknown and will probably never be unearthed. His dress however - red robe and gold embroidered green jacket – suggests he was an army officer. These were known to dress in a flamboyant and colourful style. His long brown hair has been painted with care and with spirit, and his eyes are blazing with self confidence. Datable on the basis of the hair style and the lace-trimmed collar to the beginning of the 1640s, it is an early masterpiece by the master.
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Provenance:
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Private collection, France
Sale Paris (Christie’s), 20 June 2007, no. 31, ill.
Private collection, New York
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