Manner of Jacopo Tintoretto, 
early 20th century- 
Portrait of a bishop, possibly St. Charles...

Manner of Jacopo Tintoretto, 
early 20th century- 

Portrait of a bishop, possibly St. Charles Borromeo, wearing a red mitre and cope, and kneeling in prayer before an open book; 

oil on canvas, bears partially indistinct inscription 'GERARD OSPREY / Care of Harrods LD Brompton Road / No 2 "St. Charles"' to the upper stretcher bar, canvas stamp for 'L. BESNARD' verso, 118.5 x 98 cm. 

Provenance: 
Anon. sale, Bonhams, London, 5 September 2000, lot 43a (as 'Attributed to Gerard Osprey'). 
Private Collection, UK. 

Note: 
The present work is heavily reminiscent of Tintoretto's (c.1518-1594) distinctive portraits, which are characterised by a vibrant colour palette and a free handling of the paint. These traits imbue Tintoretto's compositions with a sense of vitality and presence, and root him firmly in the Venetian tradition. Indeed, the present work particularly recalls Tintoretto's portrait of a 'Venetian senator with a young boy' which sold at Sotheby's, New York, on 6 February 2025, lot 461, particularly in the expanse of the sitter's dark red cape. The setting of the present work, with a figure in what appears to be an imagined architectural interior, with a loosely-sketched landscape beyond, is also typical of Tintoretto's compositions, as in his depiction of the 'Madonna and Child' which sold at Sotheby's, London, on 6 July 2000, lot 29, and his portrait of Sebastiano Veniero which sold at Sotheby's, Milan, on 1 June 2004, lot 189. The sitter's clerical clothing, and in particular the mitre which he wears, identifies him as a bishop. 

The artist is likely the 'Gerard Osprey' mentioned on the upper stretcher bar.