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Jan van Eyck, 'Portrait of a Man ('Léal Souvenir')', 1432

About the work

This small portrait is puzzling in many ways. We don‘t know who this man was or why he is holding a scroll, which is – rather strangely – inscribed on the outside. The painting’s tall, narrow shape is unusual and there are mysterious inscriptions carved into the very large, cracked stone parapet which runs across the front.

At the bottom is van Eyck’s signature in Latin, and the date of 10 October 1432. Above this are large capitals apparently carved into the stone: LEAL SOVVENIR (’Loyal Remembrance‘ in French). At the top is a small Latin inscription written in Greek letters: TUM OTHEOS (’then God'). What this means is unclear.

It is possible that it was painted after the sitter’s death, in which case the crumbling parapet might be an allusion to man’s mortality. His name might have been on the lost frame.

Key facts

Full title
Portrait of a Man ('Léal Souvenir')
Artist
Jan van Eyck
Artist dates
active 1422; died 1441
Date made
1432
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
33.3 × 18.9 cm
Inscription summary
Signed; Dated and inscribed
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1857
Inventory number
NG290
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
21st-century Replica Frame

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.

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