Important Self-portrait of Luis Tristán (Toledo, 1580/85 - Toledo, 1624), Spanish school of the 17th century

Important Self-portrait of Luis Tristán (Toledo, 1580/85 - Toledo, 1624), Spanish school of the 17th century
Oil on canvas, measurements: 74 x 61 cm without frame, measurements with frame: 94 x 81 cm. Provenance: important private collection, Madrid. Half-length portrait of the master of late Spanish Mannerism. Painter from Toledo, a contemporary of El Greco's son, Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli, with whom he collaborated on some works, such as the tumulus erected in 1621 on the death of Philip III. His style, thanks to the heterogeneity of his training, appears very varied, almost contradictory, at times. El Greco's strong imprint will always remain in his painting, especially in the elongation and instability of his figures; But his direct knowledge of the Caravaggist experience in Rome, precisely in years when it was in full swing, also linked him to a naturalism evident in some of his works. More than a personal evolution between two ways that seem opposite, Tristán seems to lean towards one or the other at specific times, either by his own decision or by imposition of his clientele. Likewise, the study of Venetian compositions is noticeable in his painting, but without a doubt the clearest influence is determined by the works that Juan Bautista Maíno left in Toledo, especially the great "Altarpiece of the Four Easters" in the church of San Pedro. Martyr, a novel representation of Roman naturalism enlivened with sumptuous color. All of this will be reflected in works such as the set that Tristán created in 1616 for the parish church of Yepes (Toledo), one of the most important of his production, of which the Prado keeps two examples of saints. The rest of Tristán's works in the Madrid art gallery are six canvases with which he is linked, although one of them is very doubtful, and which come mostly from the Trinidad Museum, in addition to an "Old Man" from the Royal Collection and "The Last Supper" acquired in 1993 thanks to the Villaescusa legacy (García López, D. in Enciclopedia MNP, 2006, volume VI, p. 2112).