Gentleman With Sword In A Blacksmith’s Forge. Italy, First Half Of The 17th Century

Forge with Gentleman and Blacksmith. Italy, first half of the 17th century
Oil on walnut panel
Unframed dimensions: 22 × 18.5 cm
Frame (not original): 28.5 × 25 cm

A forge. Above the hearth, hammers, tongs, and pincers are carefully arranged.
At the center, a nude man seen from behind bends toward the fire. The reddish glow of hot metal lights his back from below, emphasizing the muscular tension. The marked anatomy and twisting posture recall the post-Michelangelesque heritage, filtered through late Florentine Mannerism.

Next to him, a finely dressed man stands with a cloak, wide-brimmed hat, and sword at his side. A gentleman, perhaps a patron. His presence adds another layer: is he overseeing the making of a weapon? Or witnessing something more personal?

In the shadowed corner to the right, a seated woman holds a child. A wife? A nurse? An allegory?

The light is sharp and selective. It isolates gestures and sculpts the volumes, in a style close to tenebrism and to the Northern painters active in Rome in the early 17th century.

Yet the support – a single, thin walnut panel – points to an Italian production, possibly Tuscan. The small format suggests a piece made for a private collector, aimed at a learned and discerning audience.

The subject remains open: a forge, an armed visitor, the fire. Is it merely a scene of daily life? Or an allusion to Vulcan’s forge, or to a quiet alchemical transformation?

In good cood condition. The panel is intact, with a well-preserved antique patina and minor wear/ abrasions consistent with age.