FRANCESCO DEL CAIRO (1607–1665)

Oil on canvas. Expert analysis: Prof. Giancarlo Sestieri, Rome. Francesco del Cairo, one of the last great Lombard Mannerists, was influenced by artists such as Cesare Procaccini, Francesco Morazzone, and Antonio Tanzio. His work is characterised by expressiveness, an atmosphere formed by half-light, and a mysteriousness that piques our curiosity. These characteristics can be clearly seen In this particular depiction of a young man with a beautiful red and white turban, perhaps a portrait of a pharmacist. The man's head is angled slightly to the right, his gaze directed at the viewer. His significant turban casts a half-shadow over his face, his large staring eyes and parted lips full of unspoken questions. The figure, garbed in an elegant coat with a distinctive clasp, emerges from a neutral dark background.