Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem

The sketch-like execution suggests that Cornelis used this painting as study material in his workshop, as he did with many other studies of heads.¹ Those studies were not painted after life, but stemmed from the artist's imagination and were intended to examine the physiognomy of certain figure types or facial expressions. Cornelis usually painted them on panel, and in this case, a panel made of sap-wood (spinthout) seems to have served the purpose as study material.²
In this oil sketch the artist explores the anatomical relationship between the veins in the neck of an old man and the distribution of light on wrinkled skin. With loose brushstrokes in wet-in-wet technique Cornelis centres his artistic skills to the area around the ear, cheek and upper neck. A similar attention to the tendinous features of the depicted figure can be noted in Cornelis' expressive study Head of a screaming man which can be dated around 1588-92.³ A same date can be tentatively suggested for the present painting. 

1. .See Pieter J.J. van Thiel, Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, 1562-1638, Doornspijk 1999, pp. 105-6.
2. We would like to thank Martin Bijl for this observation (February 2008).
3. op. cit., p. 400, under no. 263, reproduced fig. III.

The actual painting is softer and less red in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The single sap-wood panel is unbelleved, and slightly bowed. The panel has a rough edge on the right side. Some minor paint losses along the upper edge have been retouched. Small retouchings can be observed along the left edge, in the background lower centre, and around the left eye of the figure. The paint surface is slightly abraded, but, otherwise, seems to be in good condition. The paint surface is covered with a clear layer of varnish. Inspection under ultra violet light confirms the aforesaid retouchings and reveals additional small retouchings in the man's head, possibly relating to older paint losses, in his forehead, and in the lower right corner. Furthermore, inspection under ultra violet light reveals that the varnish layer has been unevenly cleaned. Offered in a later plain wood frame in good condition. (MW)
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