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Portrait of a Man Holding a Rosary
(Renaissance Europe )
The unforgiving, linear rendering of the man's face suggests the influence of Quentin Metsys (1466-1530), the leading painter in Antwerp during the early decades of the century.
The fact that the sitter chose to be portrayed fingering his red coral rosary beads suggests that piety was important to his sense of identity. He may also have been superstitious: coral was not only beautiful and expensive, it was believed to protect against evil.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, prior to 1909 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 10/25/1942 | Treatment | cleaned; coated; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced |
| 2/5/1962 | Treatment | coated |
| 1/13/2005 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 4/25/2005 | Treatment | coated; cradle removed; filled; inpainted; surface cleaned; varnish removed or reduced |
Geographies
Belgium, Antwerp (Place of Origin)
Measurements
15 3/8 x 13 3/16 in. (39 x 33.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, before 1909
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.251