Bertolami Fine Art - Piazza Lovatelli 1, 00186 Roma
Presale 371 - DIPINTI ANTICHI DAL XIV AL XIX SECOLO 371 - DIPINTI ANTICHI DAL XIV AL XIX SECOLO
Thursday 5 March 2026 hours 15:00 (UTC +01:00)
Mattia Preti (Taverna 1613 - La Valletta 1699)
Mattia Preti
(Taverna 1613 - La Valletta 1699)
Head of an old man in prayer Oil on canvas cm. 43x53. Framed The painting is accompanied by an expertise by Prof. Nicola Spinosa.
This Head of an Old Man has been attributed to Mattia Preti by Professor Nicola Spinosa. Lacking precise iconographic attributes, the work focuses on the intensely expressive, suffering face of a mature man, rendered with dense, dark tonalities and vigorous, bituminous brushwork.
Stylistically, the painting relates to Preti’s production between his Roman and early Neapolitan periods, showing affinities with works such as the Blind Homer (Venice, Gallerie dell’Accademia) and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple in Taverna. The canvas exemplifies Preti’s powerful synthesis of naturalism and painterly expressiveness. Private collection.