Portrait of a Man
- Date
- 16th century
- Material
- Oil on panel
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- European Art to 1800
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 7 5/8 x 5 1/2 in. (19.4 x 14 cm)
framed: 11 x 9 5/8 in. (27.9 x 24.4 cm) - Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 169:1925
NOTES
The sensitive depiction of the soft flesh around the sitter’s eyes and the sagging skin near his chin attest to the skill of 16th-century portrait painters. While little is known about the artist or the sitter, we can determine that the subject was probably not a nobleman. The simple attire and angled cap may be the dress of a prosperous merchant or tradesman who could afford to have his likeness recorded.
Provenance
by 1913 -
Peter A. B. Widener (1834-1915), Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, PA; Joseph E. Widener (1871/1872-1943), Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, PA, by inheritance [1]
by 1921 - 1925
Bachstitz Gallery, Berlin, Germany; The Hague, the Netherlands; New York, NY, USA [2]
1925 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Bachstitz Gallery [3]
Notes:
[1] In a 1913 publication, the painting is listed as being owned by Peter A. B. Widener [Valentiner, W. R., Hofstede de Groot, "Pictures in the Collection of P. A. B. Widener." Volume 1. Philadelphia, 1913, cat. no. 4]. An undated document sent from the Bachstitz Gallery states that the work was formerly in the collection of Joseph E. Widener [SLAM document files]. It is assumed Joseph E. Widener inherited the work upon his father's death in 1915.
[2] See note [1]. According to a 1921 publication, the painting was in the collection of the Bachstitz Gallery at this time ["The Bachstitz Gallery Collection." Vol. III: Objects of Art and Painting. Berlin, A. Frisch, 1921, plate 94].
[3] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, May 15, 1925.
Peter A. B. Widener (1834-1915), Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, PA; Joseph E. Widener (1871/1872-1943), Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, PA, by inheritance [1]
by 1921 - 1925
Bachstitz Gallery, Berlin, Germany; The Hague, the Netherlands; New York, NY, USA [2]
1925 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Bachstitz Gallery [3]
Notes:
[1] In a 1913 publication, the painting is listed as being owned by Peter A. B. Widener [Valentiner, W. R., Hofstede de Groot, "Pictures in the Collection of P. A. B. Widener." Volume 1. Philadelphia, 1913, cat. no. 4]. An undated document sent from the Bachstitz Gallery states that the work was formerly in the collection of Joseph E. Widener [SLAM document files]. It is assumed Joseph E. Widener inherited the work upon his father's death in 1915.
[2] See note [1]. According to a 1921 publication, the painting was in the collection of the Bachstitz Gallery at this time ["The Bachstitz Gallery Collection." Vol. III: Objects of Art and Painting. Berlin, A. Frisch, 1921, plate 94].
[3] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, May 15, 1925.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.