Artwork
Portrait of a Man with a Moor's Head on His Signet Ring
Portrait of a Man with a Moor's Head on His Signet Ring is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Conrad Faber von Kreuznach. It dates from 1538 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the piece functions as a portrait depicting a man, notable for the specific inclusion of a ring featuring a Moor's head.
Created in 1538 by Conrad Faber von Kreuznach, the work is an oil painting executed on a lime wood panel. The support measures 53 centimeters in height and 35.9 centimeters in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as a portrait depicting a man, notable for the specific inclusion of a ring featuring a Moor's head.
The application of oil paint on the prepared wooden surface characterizes the medium and handling typical of the period's portraiture. The formal composition focuses on the likeness of the subject and the distinct emblem on his signet ring, establishing the work's classification within the genre of portraiture.
History & Provenance
The oil painting titled Portrait of a Man with a Moor's Head on His Signet Ring was created in 1538 by Conrad Faber von Kreuznach. Executed on a lime panel, the work measures 53 cm in height and 35.9 cm in width. The piece currently resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While the specific commission details and the full chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the museum are not detailed in the provided records, the work is firmly dated to the year 1538. The painting depicts a man and notably features a ring with a Moor's head, a central element of the subject's portrayal. The artwork remains a documented example of the artist's portraiture from the mid-16th century.
The painting is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is listed as part of the museum's collection; however, the specific accession or inventory number is not disclosed in the available documentation. The work, attributed to Conrad Faber von Kreuznach and dated 1538, is recorded as an oil portrait on lime panel depicting a man with a signet ring. No exhibition record is mentioned in the sources consulted, indicating that its public display history has not been documented within the provided references.
Overview
Created in 1538 by the German artist Conrad Faber von Kreuznach, Portrait of a Man with a Moor's Head on His Signet Ring is an oil painting from the Northern Renaissance. This work exemplifies the portrait genre of its era, depicting an unidentified sitter prominently displaying a unique signet ring. The painting is currently housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents a bearded man, dressed in a dark robe and hat, positioned before a receding landscape of green fields and a distant town under a pale sky. His right hand draws attention to a signet ring, which bears the carved image of a figure with darker features, often termed a "Moor's head." This distinct emblem on the ring likely served as a personal identifier or symbol for the sitter.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Conrad Faber von Kreuznach (c. 1500 in Kreuznach, Germany – between 10 September 1552 and 15 May 1553 in Frankfurt am Main) was a German painter and woodcuts designer formerly known as Master of Holzhausen-portraits.
- Heinrich(?) vom Rhein zum Mohren (1477–1536)
Johann I (1468–1532), the Constant, Elector of Saxony
Friedrich III (1463–1525), the Wise, Elector of Saxony
Johann (1498–1537), Duke of Saxony
Portrait of Johannes the Steadfast, Elector of Saxony
Portrait of Leonhard Fuchs
Hans Christoph I. Vöhlin von Frickenhausen (1522-1576)
Portrait Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Louis X, Duke of Bavaria
Bildnis eines bärtigen Mannes
Bearded Man in a Fur Coat
Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, son of Johann Friedrich I., died 1573
