(Cologne 1552–1615 Prague)
Portrait of a gentleman
oil on panel, 55 x 43.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private European collection

Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann has suggested that the man depicted in the present painting bears a very strong resemblance to the Dutch goldsmith, Jaques Bylivelt (1550–1603), who also sat for Hans von Aachen (see Hans von Aachen (1552-1615) Court Artist in Europe, in: T. Fusenig/A. Taatgen/H. Becker (ed.), Aachen and Munich 2010, fig. 75, p. 68, no. 21). Bylivelt, known in Italy as Jacopo Bilivert, was the court artist of the Medici family and active in Florence from 1573. He was the father of the artist Giovanni Bilivert. Hans von Aachen painted the portrait of the goldsmith, now in the Suermond-Ludwig Museum in Aachen (inv. no. 1612), probably in 1586 before he left Florence.

The sitter wears a black satin garment with a lace ruff collar which was fashionable as part of the ‘Spanish mode’ during the early seventeenth century. Both sitters look to the left, with faces turned partly at an angle and the two paintings also have similar dimensions. Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann thinks the present portrait was probably executed by an artist working in Florence around 1600.

Provenance:
Private European collection

Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann has suggested that the man depicted in the present painting bears a very strong resemblance to the Dutch goldsmith, Jaques Bylivelt (1550–1603), who also sat to Hans von Aachen (see Hans von Aachen (1552-1615) Court Artist in Europe, in: T. Fusenig/A. Taatgen/H. Becker (ed.), Aachen and Munich 2010, fig. 75, p. 68, no. 21). Bylivelt, known in Italy as Jacopo Bilivert, was the court artist of the Medici family and active in Florence from 1573. He was the father of the artist Giovanni Bilivert. Hans von Aachen painted the portrait of the goldsmith, now in the Suermond-Ludwing Museum in Aachen (inv. no. 1612), probably in 1586 before he left Florence.

The sitter wears a black satin garment with a lace ruff collar which was fashionable as part of the ‘Spanish mode’ during the early seventeenth century. Both sitters look to the left, with faces turned partly at an angle and the two paintings also have similar dimensions. Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann thinks the present portrait was probably executed by an artist working in Florence around 1600.