(Genoa 1625–1676 Venice)
Job,
oil on canvas, oval, 82 x 64 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private European collection;
where acquired by the present owner

In the present composition the elegant brushwork and the acutely sculpted anatomy, combined with an intensity of expression, are characteristic of Langetti. Originally from Genoa, he moved to Rome at a young age and he trained in the workshop of Pietro da Cortona (1596/97–1669) where he learnt to master the classical arrangement of figures, which he ultimately achieved in a highly naturalistic manner. Langetti was also deeply influenced by Neapolitan artists, as shown by the strong chiaroscuro and tenebrous setting of his paintings; these often depict images of saints, philosophers, heroes or prophets.

Typical of the artist’s corpus of works, the present painting shows Job depicted half-length, in a sombre yet dynamic manner. The prophet is portrayed according to the Christian interpretation of the biblical text – a good and wealthy family man, whose faith is put to the test and life is plagued by disastrous events, including the death of his children. The figure of Job, modeled in warm, rich tones and fast, expressive highlights emerges from the encroaching darkness that surrounds him. The stylistic treatment of the subject combined with the moralising lessons of the biblical story, culminates in a composition that is similar to works by Jusepe de Ribera (1591–1652) or Luca Giordano (1635–1705). Along with fellow tenebrosi artists such as Johann Carl Loth (1632–1698) and Francesco Rosa (1635–1710), Langetti transferred the Neapolitan innovations in painting to Venice, where he remained for the rest of his life, and where he had a predominant role in the development of Venetian painting in the second half of the seventeenth century.