Portrait Of A Cistercian Monk Holding A Letter, Late 18th Century, Early 19th Century.

An important portrait of a monk belonging to the Cistercian order, recognizable by his white robe and black scapular, a symbol of humility and spiritual work. Seated in a scholarly interior, the monk holds a letter in his right hand, while to his left rest on a curved table with rocaille decoration a quill, an inkwell, a score, and a flute. These attributes evoke the literary and musical culture of many 18th-century Cistercian monks, often trained in liturgical music and handwritten copying. The treatment of the face, calm and observed, as well as the precision of the draperies bear witness to a French or Belgian school of the late 18th century, marked by the sobriety and classicism of neoclassical portraiture. The touch is fine, the modeling blended, and the diffused light highlights the quiet nobility of the subject. The canvas, which has regular old cracking, has been mounted on a plywood panel, a common conservation process that guarantees excellent stability for the work today. This painting was found in Belgium, where it may have been executed in the context of the French presence in the former Southern Netherlands (1795–1815), a period during which religious workshops and portrait painting were strongly influenced by French taste. Presented in a 20th-century frame in molded, blackened and gilded wood, mounted with keys on the back according to the 18th-century tradition. Good overall condition. Dimensions on view: 145 × 107 cm Dimensions with frame: 158 × 120 cm