Painting of the Day: A Sixteenth-Century Flemish Portrait

Rendered in thick strokes of rich greens, umbers and yellows, this portrait of a young man most likely comes from the County of Flanders and dates to the late Sixteenth Century. The County of Flanders overlapped parts of present-day Belgium. We can tell this painting is Flemish by the style of the young man’s cap and dress. Artist’s apprentices of the time were attired in outfits such as this.

With his sullen, expectant expression, the subject radiates an adolescent insecurity—the emotions of someone learning a craft during an uncertain time. Still in its original frame, the painting is flanked by leather straps which form a decorative pattern around the canvas. An unusual find, I am fond of this painting because of the raw emotion that it exhibits. Here is proof of the mastery of Flemish painting—the ability to create a fully formed portrait from a limited color palette and loose brush strokes.