Portrait of a Levantine Merchant, 18th Century. Italian school.

Portrait of a Levantine Merchant, 18th Century
Italian school.
Oil on canvas.
Circle of Giuseppe Nogari (1699-1763)

Dimensions with frame cm 71 x 56
Dimensions without frame cm 66 x 51

The genre of “Character Heads,” popular in the 18th century, celebrated the depiction of human figures with pronounced features, often accompanied by elements evoking exoticism and cultural influences from the Levant. This fascination with the Orient, particularly strong in 18th-century Venice, was reflected not only in the subjects but also in the compositional and chromatic choices.

This painting, attributed to the circle of Giuseppe Nogari, portrays a man with a long white beard, dressed in a blue cloak and a red garment. While the face and beard are rendered with great precision and realism, the choice of colors and the overall composition reflect an orientalist tendency, consistent with the cultural tastes of the period. The subject, likely a Levantine merchant, embodies the Venetian artistic tradition of highlighting connections with the Eastern world.

Technique: Oil on canvas
Period: First half of the 18th century

Condition:
The paint layer shows some signs of deformation, and the overall condition is medium. However, the painting remains legible, with the main details clearly visible.

This portrait highlights the orientalizing trend typical of “Character Heads,” combined with the Venetian tradition of portraying emblematic figures linked to the Levantine world. The attribution to the circle of Giuseppe Nogari places it within an artistic milieu that celebrated cultural interactions and the allure of the exotic.