Isaiah

The composition makes use of a dense and soft complexion, with pasty brushstrokes, which build with a certain delicacy the mantle of the prophet, the clouds that thicken clear in the background, and the fluid beard. The very lively force of the brushstroke stands out in the precise characterization of the old man's face, caught with accents of rare intensity, while as often happens in Balestra a note of bright red (here the burning coals) raises the apparent monochrome coat of the painting.