Portrait of a Boy

Vittore Ghislandi, also known as Fra Galgario after the monastery in Bergamo which he entered at the age of 20, was best known for his portraits. This portrait of a boy is a late work, produced in the 1730s when Ghislandi was nearly 80 years old. It is remarkable for its broad, free painting style and the expressiveness of the intense, rich colouring, with the combination of dark blue and burgundy-brown tones which was characteristic of the artist's work. In order to create smoother transitions of colour in faces, the artist often applied the paint with his fingers, a device which can be seen in this picture.