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Portrait of a Man with a Pink
Quentin Massys·1500–10
Historical Context
Quinten Massys' Portrait of a Man with a Pink from 1500-10 depicts a man holding a carnation, a common attribute in Netherlandish portraiture symbolizing betrothal or marital devotion. Massys, the leading painter of Antwerp in the early 16th century, helped establish the city as the artistic capital of the Netherlands through portraits and religious works that combined Northern precision with Italian-influenced modeling. His portraits are notable for their warm humanity and psychological directness.
Technical Analysis
Massys' oil-on-panel technique demonstrates the smooth, luminous surface achieved through careful layering of translucent glazes. The precise rendering of the sitter's features and the delicate pink carnation exemplify the technical mastery of the Antwerp school's finest portraiture.
Provenance
Possibly Colonna di Sciarra collection, Rome [according to catalogue of the 1881 Beurnonville sale]. Étienne-Edmond Martin, 2nd baron de Beurnonville, Paris; sold, Pillet, Paris, May 9–16, 1881, no. 323, as Holbein, to Brame for 14,000 fr. [according to annotated sale catalogue in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris]. Ernest May, Paris; sold, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, June 4, 1890, no. 106 (engraved), as Holbein, to Durand-Ruel for Charles L. Hutchinson on behalf of the Art Institute for 13,000 fr. [letter of Oct. 7, 1987 from France Daguet of Durand-Ruel in curatorial file; the purchase was supported retroactively by a gift from John J. Glessner; see Art Institute of Chicago 1895].
