Portrait of the Gem-Cutter Dionysius Miseroni and His Family

In its concept, this painting is unique in the context of Central European painting of that time, and it proves Škréta’s inventive abilities. It portrays a member of the second generation of Milanese gemstone cutters settled in Prague under Rudolf II, Dionysius Miseroni (probably 1605/07–1661), in the circle of his family. He is presented as a confident artist at the top of his lifelong artistic career. The distinct diagonal composition, built with the use of psychologically convincing gestures, the keen portrayal characteristics, but likewise the sober, yet distinctive colour scheme contribute to the monumental effect. Not only the traditional concordia – family unity is accentuated, but first of all the important social standing of the portrayed person, firmly rooted in the family tradition and his own abilities. The clue for the dating of the painting was provided in the stepped crystal vessel called the Pyramid, completed by 1653.