Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart), 'A Man with a Rosary'

Description

The back wall, cornice and framing elements are all brownish grey and the panels of coloured marble are, from left to right: brown, yellow-brown, light grey, yellow-brown, grey, brown, grey, and greyish. The veining, appropriately varied in colour, is purplish, brown, grey or white (figs.17, 18). The man has dark brown hair and blue eyes (See fig.19, and photomicrograph m6 in Image Viewer). Over a white shirt he wears a purple doublet with a black lining (See photomicrographs m18 – m21 in Image Viewer). Over that is a black garment, evidently without sleeves. His gown is black, trimmed and lined with brown fur, and has hanging sleeves and a large cape-like collar. The rings on his right hand are gold: the upper ring is set with a square red stone; the lower with a round black stone (fig.8). The ring on his left hand may be silver and carries a blue stone in a gold setting. There is dirt caught behind the thumbnail of his right hand. The red rosary beads are on a green string (figs.21, 20).

Gossart's sitter evidently had a large nose and a receding chin. The chin is drawn well inside the painted contour; it appears to have been enlarged in order to flatter the subject.

Further Sections

• Introduction
• Provenance and exhibitions
• Technical notes
• Description
• The identity of the sitter
• Attribution and original function
• Date