Workshop of the Master of the Holy Blood, 'A Young Man Praying', probably 1525-30
About the work
Overview
We do not know this man’s identity, although he was once thought to be the sixteenth-century theologian Martin Luther, who was a leading figure of the Protestant Reformation. This was once the left wing of a folding diptych or triptych (a painting of two or three parts respectively). There are remains of red paint on the reverse, which may have shown an object against a red background, perhaps a stone figure of a biblical character in a red marble niche.
The portrait has much in common with Bruges paintings of the 1520s. One artist in particular, known as the Master of the Holy Blood, tended to distort his faces in a similar way to that seen here – the large nose is almost in profile, while the face is in three-quarter view. It seems likely this painting is from his workshop.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- A Young Man Praying
- Artist
- Workshop of the Master of the Holy Blood
- Artist dates
- active early 16th century
- Date made
- probably 1525-30
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 24.1 × 18.3 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bought, 1879
- Inventory number
- NG1063
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Lorne Campbell, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Netherlandish Paintings: With French Paintings before 1600’, London 2014; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
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1945Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: Early Netherlandish School, London 1945
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1955Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: Early Netherlandish School, 2nd edn (revised), London 1955
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1987Davies, Martin, National Gallery Catalogues: The Early Netherlandish School, 3rd edn, London 1987
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2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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2014
L. Campbell, National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Netherlandish Paintings: With French Paintings before 1600, 2 vols, London 2014
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.