Equestrian Portrait of a Gentleman C.1620; Follower of Jean De Saint-igny (C.1595-c.1649)

This item is a rare and early survival of oil painting on scagliola. Scagliola is a technique for producing stucco columns, sculptures and other architectural elements that resemble inlays in marble and semi-precious stones. The Scagliola technique came into fashion in 17th-century in Tuscany as an effective substitute for marble inlays. Scagliola is a composite substance thought to have been made from selenite, glue and natural pigments, imitating marble and other hard stones. The technique eventually spread throughout Europe. However oil paintings on scagliola are now extremely rare and are well sought after objects particularly early examples such as this.

From the middle of the 15th century the portrait of an individual on horseback became a pictorial genre in its own right and an important style of art. From Francis I to Napoleon Bonaparte even though fashions evolved the message remained the same - to underline and glorify an individual’s importance. Artists continually depicted powerful and influential men sat atop their steed, often leading heroic charges in battles, relaxing during recreation, or simply posing to display their wealth and prowess. There are notable examples by artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Antoine Van Dyck, and Diego Velázquez.

Painted circa 1620 this portrait depicts a nobleman wearing costly armour and holding a commander’s baton. The face and the armour have been so finely painted that it is likely the work of a skilled miniaturist. Presented in a period ebonised frame of which the reverse contains the remains of an old label indistinctly inscribed.

Jean de Saint-Igny (c.1595-c.1649) was a painter and engraver who was mainly active in Rouen, France. He was one of the founders of the brotherhood of Saint-Luke in 1631 and became master in 1635. He worked between Paris and Rouen and often painted small scale genre scenes and portraits of the French nobility.

Measurements: Height 51cm, Width 44.5cm (Height 20”, Width 17.5” framed)

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