Artwork
Don Tiburcio de Redín
Don Tiburcio de Redín is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Juan Rizi. It dates from 1635 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Juan Rizi’s 1635 oil portrait presents a gentleman named Don Tiburcio de Redín, captured in a formal pose with a sword at his side. The canvas measures a modest size and is executed in the early Baroque manner, reflecting the influence of Italian painting while retaining a distinctly Spanish sensibility.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is dressed in elaborate 17th‑century attire: a black doublet embroidered with silver, a pink sash, red hose, and a white ruffled collar. He rests one hand on a wide‑brimmed hat and holds a sword, suggesting a status that blends martial readiness with aristocratic display. The presence of a carved box with enigmatic symbols hints at personal or familial insignia.
Technique & Style
Rizi employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, using a strong light source to model the face and garments, creating deep shadows beneath the nose and chin that lend the figure a resolute expression. The brushwork is fine in the details of embroidery and fabric texture, while broader strokes convey the reflective quality of the metal sword and hat.
History & Provenance
Born in Madrid in 1600, Juan Rizi was a Benedictine monk who also practiced architecture and wrote on theology and geometry. After studying at Monte Cassino, he returned to Spain, where he produced this portrait. The work entered the Museo del Prado’s collection in Madrid, where it remains part of the museum’s Baroque holdings.
Context
The painting reflects the early Baroque period’s fascination with dramatic lighting and the portrayal of social rank through costume. Rizi’s Spanish background combined with his exposure to Italian artistic trends at Monte Cassino, resulting in a synthesis that aligns with contemporary portraiture aimed at emphasizing the sitter’s authority and refinement.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Friar Juan Andrés Ricci de Guevara, known as Friar Juan Rizi (1600, Madrid - 29 November 1681, Monte Cassino) was a Spanish Benedictine monk, painter, and architect, in the Baroque style.
