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Michiel Coxcie, 'A Man with a Skull', about 1560 or later

About the work

Overview

This seemingly straightforward portrait was one of the National Gallery’s most controversial purchases of the nineteenth century. Bought in 1845 as ‘the Gallery’s first Holbein’, its authenticity was quickly cast into doubt. Recent dendrochronological analysis of the panel – a method of determining the age of a piece of wood by analysing its pattern of rings – shows that it was made after Holbein’s death.

We're not sure who the sitter was, but the coat of arms in the upper corner suggests he came from Brussels or Leuven or the surrounding area and is probably a member of the Heverlee family. Michiel Coxcie was the most important portrait painter working in Brussels when this was made, and stylistic comparison with his other paintings confirms him as the artist.

Key facts

Details

Full title
A Man with a Skull
Artist dates
born between 1498 and 1500; died 1592
Date made
about 1560 or later
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
97 × 75.4 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1845
Inventory number
NG195
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

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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