Mannerist School - St Paul With Sword and Book

Mannerist School, 1600s

Title: St Paul With Sword and Book

oil on copper
plate size 6.29 x 5.11 inches (16 x 13cm)
frame 10.62 x 9.05 inches (27 x 23 cm)

Provenance:
From a Swedish Private Collection.

Mannerism derived from the Italian maneria, meaning simply ”style”, the mannerism movement emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520 and continued into the early 17th century.
Mannerism is sometimes defined as the “stylish style” for its emphasis on self-conscious artifice over realistic depiction; historians differ as to whether Mannerism is a style, a movement, or a period.
Rather than adopting the harmonious ideals associated with Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci the mannerist painters went a step further to create almost bizarre compositions, with a new fresh color scheme, elongated proportions and exaggerated anatomy of figures in convoluted serpentine poses who showed off their techniques and skills to create a sense of sophisticated elegance.
To name a few mannerism painters, some of the most famous are Jacopo da Pontormo, Bronzino, Lavinia Fontana and Joachim Wtewael.
In this painting depicting St Paul With Sword and Book, we can see how the artist follows the mannerist style, such as the colours of his clothes, the position of the hands, and the exquisitely painted face.
Art historians have not yet been able to determine the artist. Based on digital images, Suzanne Laemers at RKD thinks it is a Mannerist artist from the 1600 and Maria Teresa Cantaro thinks it is nice and precious and perhaps from the Lombard or Emilian environment due to the naturalness of the figure.

Condition:
Restored 2021. : Very good condition, small retouches. Bright and beautiful colours.
The oak frame is made by Swedish frame maker Christer Björkman 2021.