Attributed To Giuseppe Angeli ( 1712-1798) - Portrait Of A Rabbi

Portrait of a Rabbi
Oil on canvas. H. 50 cm × W. 40 cm

This expressive portrait is a fine example of Giuseppe Angeli’s skill in capturing psychological nuance. Trained in the workshop of Giambattista Piazzetta—whom he later replaced as studio director—Angeli adhered closely to his master’s dramatic idiom before gradually softening his style. His election as professor of life drawing at the Venice Academy in 1756, and later as its president in 1772, confirms his prominent role in the Venetian art scene of the 18th century.

The present work reflects Angeli’s early adherence to Piazzetta’s chiaroscuro technique, seen in the dramatic contrast between the figure’s illuminated face and the deep shadows of the background. The swift, textured brushwork in the flowing beard and hair reveals both technical assurance and expressive intent. Yet, the overall sobriety of the composition, the subdued palette, and the calm introspection of the sitter anticipate the more classical and luminous manner that Angeli developed in his later years—a manner often compared to Jacopo Amigoni.

A testament to Angeli’s mastery of portraiture, this canvas stands as a poignant synthesis of Venetian emotional realism and refined pictorial restraint.