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Portrait of a gentleman with a falcon

Niccolò dell'Abbatecirca 1548-circa 1550

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia

Nicolo dell' Abate was an Emilian painter active in Modena, Bologna and ultimately the Fontainebleau of Henry II of France, where he worked with his compatriot, the equally gifted Primaristocrataticcio. He was associated with, rather than central to, the mannerist movement which was virtually a European court style in the first half of the sixteenth century. It was in the newly independent genre of landscape that dell' Abate made his most enduring contribution to the history of Western art. His classically inspired landscapes are staffed by elegant figures and typified by pastoral themes pre-empting those of Poussin and Claude. In portraiture dell' Abate was a canny observer of the interior life of his subjects, managing to suggest something of the uniqueness of their psychology. The north Italian aristocrat portrayed here has an almost indecisive air at odds with his masterful pose and sporty regalia. Dell' Abate clearly empathised with this equivocal quality, which he so subtly translates into paint.

AGNSW Handbook, 1999.

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  • Title: Portrait of a gentleman with a falcon
  • Creator: Nicolò dell'Abate
  • Date Created: circa 1548-circa 1550
  • Physical Dimensions: 107.5 x 84.5 cm stretcher; 139.5 x 117.0 x 8.0 cm frame
  • Provenance: Alessandro Contini-Bonacossi, Florence/Tuscany/Italy, [dealer] Agnew's, London, London/England, by 1971, exhibited in 'Old masters - recent acquisitions' 2 November - 10 December 1971 William Bowmore, 1975?-19 Jul 1991, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, Purchased by the AGNSW from William Bowmore 1991. This painting was offered for sale at Christie's London, 9 December 1988 'Important Old Master Pictures', but did not sell.
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Purchase 1991
  • Medium: oil on canvas
  • Signature & Date: Not signed. Not dated.
  • Object Other Titles: Portrait of a gentleman, half length, wearing a black coat with grey sleeves and a hat, a falcon perched on his finger
  • Artist Country: Italy, France
Art Gallery of New South Wales

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