Skip to main content

Catharina van Hemessen, 'Portrait of a Man', possibly 1552

Key facts
Full title Portrait of a Man
Artist Catharina van Hemessen
Artist dates 1527/8 - after 1566?
Date made possibly 1552
Medium and support oil on wood
Dimensions 36.2 × 29.2 cm
Inscription summary Signed; Dated
Acquisition credit Bought, 1878
Inventory number NG1042
Location Not on display
Collection Main Collection
Portrait of a Man
Catharina van Hemessen
/

The Latin inscription in the top right corner names the painter: CATHARINA. FILIA /IOHANNIS DE HEMES/SEN PINGEBAT. 1552. (‘Catharina, daughter of Johannes de Hemessen was painting [this]. 1552.’). Catharina van Hemessen is the first woman artist from Flanders for whom we have a confirmed body of work.

We do not know the sitter’s identity, but he was clearly a wealthy man probably of noble birth, as the privilege of wearing a sword indicates. His belt has gold ornaments, and the pommel of his sword too is golden. He wears gold rings on his fingers – one set with a shield, quartered in red and blue – and another hangs from a chain around his neck. In the mid-sixteenth century it was relatively common for people to wear rings on necklaces, possibly as pledges of affection.

The pose – one hand on the hip and the other grasping the hilt of a sword – emulates portraits painted at the Habsburg courts in the 1540s. Catharina effectively channelled the monumentality and formality of such portraiture on a small scale.

Download image
Download low-resolution image

Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.

License this image

License and download a high-resolution image for reproductions up to A3 size from the National Gallery Picture Library.

License image
Download low-resolution image

This image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.

Examples of non-commercial use are:

  • Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
  • Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media

The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.

As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.

Download low-resolution image

You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.

Creative Commons Logo