Bartholomeus Bruyn the Elder, 'A Man, probably of the Strauss Family', probably about 1534
About the work
Overview
The man in this portrait has not yet been identified. The upper ring on his left forefinger may provide a clue: it seems to show the arms of the Strauss family (the other ring seems to have shown another coat of arms which can no longer be deciphered). It has been suggested that the man depicted is a member of this family called Andreas zum Kampe, but at the date this portrait was made he would have been a little older than our sitter appears. It may depict another member of the family – several are recorded in the city at this time.
In his right hand he holds a piece of paper with a verse from the Bible inscribed upon it in German, meaning ‘The word of our God shall stand for ever’, followed by its citation: Isaiah chapter 40.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- A Man, probably of the Strauss Family
- Artist
- Bartholomeus Bruyn the Elder
- Artist dates
- 1492/5 - 1555
- Date made
- probably about 1534
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 36.2 × 24.8 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Salting Bequest, 1910
- Inventory number
- NG2605
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Susan Foister, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The German Paintings before 1800’, London 2024; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Exhibition history
-
2014Strange Beauty: Masters of the German RenaissanceThe National Gallery (London)19 February 2014 - 11 May 2014
Bibliography
-
1959Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The German Schools, London 1959
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
-
2024S. Foister, National Gallery Catalogues: The German Paintings before 1800, 2 vols, London 2024
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
Images
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