8.500 €
Unidentified late 16th century Antwerp painter
Portrait of a man wearing a black coat and a white ruff, holding a glove
Oil on panel : 78,7 X 65,9 cm
Unsigned, circa 1690/1695
Frame : 95,6 X 82,9 cm
I would like to thank Dr. Fred Meijer who has pointed out to us the stylistic connection with Frans Pourbus the Younger (1/09/25)
In short
Our unidentified painter must have been active during the early 1590s in Antwerp. He stood close to Frans Pourbus the Younger and to Adriaen Thomasz. Key.
Dr. Fred Meijer has very probably found another portrait of the same sitter, which was sold at Sotheby’s, London, in 1990, with a wrong attribution.
About Frans Pourbus II
Flemish painter
Antwerp 1569 – 1622 Paris
Portrait painter.
Frans the Younger was born into a very important family of painters.
- He was the grandson of Pieter Pourbus (1523 – 1584), the leading portrait and history painter in Bruges.
- He was the son of the excellent portrait painter Frans the Elder (1545/46 – 1581) and of Suzanna Floris. Seeing the economic recline of Bruges Frans I settled in Antwerp, where he had studied under his future brother-in-law, Frans Floris, again a prominent painter, who led a huge workshop of pupils and assistants.
Following the sudden early death of his father (at the age of 36) Frans II studied in Bruges under his grandfather, Pieter. Following Pieter’s death he became the pupil of Otto van Veen in Antwerp.
Frans II was a typical court painter.
- First in Brussels of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella at the very end of the 1590s.
- He was recruited in Brussels by the ruler of Mantua, Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga, in 1600.
- He moved from Mantua to Paris in 1609, at the demand of Queen Marie de’ Medici, whose court painter he was until his death.
In Paris, Frans II was the Master of the portrait painter Justus Sustermans (1597 – 1681) during two years (1616 – 1618).
About our portrait
Following the unforeseen death of his father at the age of 36, Frans II studied under his grandfather, before returning to Antwerp, where he fell under the influence of the portrait painter Adriaen Thomasz. Key (Antwerp 1545 – after 1589 Antwerp). Not much is known of these early years by Frans II, but the influence of Adriaen Thomasz. Key is obvious, also in our portrait: especially from Key’s portraits of the late 1670s and early 1580s.
Frans the Younger was rapidly to surpass Key. At the end of the 1590s he was asked to move from Antwerp to Brussels, where he joined the court of the Archdukes.
Incredible: Dr. Fred Meijer has discovered another late 16th century portrait representing most probably the same man as in our painting. That portrait was erroneously sold as “Circle of Michiel van Mierevelt” in 1990 at Sotheby’s London. It carries a later, 19th century coat-of-arms and inscription “identifying” that man as an Englishman … .
It is clear that our anonymous artist was aware of the artistic innovations in Antwerp at the end of the sixteenth century. His identity must be sought among the many, as yet still anonymous, artists in the metropolis.
Why should you buy this painting?
Because there is still a lot to be discovered about this sympathetic portrayed man and about the painter.
Comparative paintings
Click photos for more details
