Artus Wolfaerts (1581-1641) - Study of a Head

Artus WOLFAERTS (1581-1641)
Study of a Head

Oil on paper, transferred onto panel.
Dimensions: 39.5 x 29 cm

Provenance
Private collection, France

This study of a head, formerly attributed to Rubens' workshop, is a rare oil sketch by Artus Wolffort. Parallels with this type of old man can be observed in Wolffort's depiction of the oldest of the Magi in his Adoration of the Magi works, preserved in the museums of Antwerp and Karlsruhe. The treatment of the beard also corresponds to Wolffort's style.

We are grateful to Dr. Joost Vander Auwera, curator at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, for suggesting and confirming this attribution following a communication based on photography, in early 2022.

This work, captivating for its liveliness and intense expression, represents the technical mastery and emotional depth characteristic of Wolffort, an artist whose significant contributions to the art of the 17th century continue to be rediscovered and appreciated.