Anthonis Mor, attributed to
Portrait of a man in spanish costume
Oil on panel. 44 x 31 cm.
Dated upper left: An. 1581.
The Liechtenstein coat of arms in red lacquer on the verso. Two further lacquer seals with monogram.
The present painting shows the portrait of a middle-aged man. Against a dark background, he looks out of the painting, slightly diagonally, with scepticism. He is wearing a silk black and high-necked robe with a white ruff. His headgear is unusual, a high, soft and brimless hat, a so-called "toque". This was worn at the Spanish court in the 16th and early 17th centuries and from there was also introduced at the courts of Prague and Vienna.
Among the Dutch portrait painters who were active in Spain, Anthonis Mor from Utrecht, to whom this portrait has been attributed, stands out. In this context, a red lacquer seal on the back of the painting is of great interest, showing that it comes from the collection of the House of Liechtenstein.
The painting is listed in the database of the RKD, The Hague, under number 40730.
Provenance
Princely Liechtenstein Collection (lacquer seal on the reverse. – Art dealership Karl Haberstock, Berlin/Munich 1923 (according to Max. J. Friedländer). – Rasch Collection, Stockholm. - German private collection.