Portrait of an African Man (Christophle le More?)

Dendrochronological analysis of the oak panel indicates the painting was created after 1520, with a more plausible date of 1526 or later, fitting the 1525–1530 range generally attributed to Jan Mostaert. The work remained undocumented until 1920, when art dealer Tomás Harris acquired it, likely from a Spanish source. Harris commissioned an attribution from Max Friedländer based on a photograph, which identified the artist as Mostaert.

The painting subsequently passed to Hans Wendland in 1924, then to Galerie Fischer, and was sold to Sir Thomas Barlow in 1934. After Barlow's death, his son Basil Stephen Barlow inherited the piece, which was later loaned to Kenwood House from 1998 to 2003. In 2004, it moved to dealer Robert Noortman before the Rijksmuseum purchased it for €600,000 in June 2005 with support from the Rembrandt Foundation.

Following the acquisition, the work was temporarily housed at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen during Rijksmuseum renovations before its return to Amsterdam in September 2021.

The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, accessioned as part of its permanent collection.

It was acquired by the Rijksmuseum in June 2005 from dealer Robert Noortman with support from the Rembrandt Foundation for €600,000. Between 2005 and 2021, the work was displayed at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen during renovations at the Rijksmuseum and returned to the latter in September 2021.

Its exhibition history includes public display at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in 1936 and subsequent appearances in Dutch and British venues prior to 2005, as well as inclusion in the traveling exhibition “Black is beautiful: Rubens to Dumas” and “Remember Me.”

Jan Mostaert's portrait is widely recognized by scholars as potentially the earliest surviving independent painting of a specific Black man in European art, distinguishing it from earlier stereotypical depictions of biblical figures like Saint Maurice or Balthazar. While the subject's identity remains debated, leading theories identify him as Christophle le More, a Black archer in the service of Emperor Charles V, or a nobleman within the court of Margaret of Austria. Art historians such as Jan Piet Filedt Kok and Mareike de Winkel emphasize its unique status as the only independent portrait of a Sub-Saharan African from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance to survive.

The work has also sparked modern discourse regarding the historical origins of the figure Zwarte Piet. Although some scholars, like Marie-José Govers, have argued for a religious identification as Saint Maurice to reflect contemporary Catholic-Protestant tensions, this view is contested by curators who note the painting's small format aligns more closely with personal portraiture than altarpiece iconography.

The painting is recognized as the earliest surviving independent portrait of a specific Black man in European art, distinguishing it from earlier stereotypical depictions of biblical figures like Saint Maurice. Its historical significance was first highlighted by scholar Friedrich Winkler in 1959, who noted its unique character. In modern discourse, the work has influenced debates regarding Dutch cultural history; in 2013, museum director Wim Pijbes cited the figure's proud demeanor and attire as evidence tracing the origins of the Zwarte Piet folklore to the 16th century.

This interpretation prompted scholar Marie-José Govers to publish a counter-argument in 2014, proposing the subject was actually Saint Maurice to refute the folklore connection. The portrait continues to hold a prominent place in exhibitions addressing race and representation, including the 2011 show "Black is beautiful: Rubens to Dumas."

Jan Mostaert’s oil painting, commonly titled Portrait of an African Man, dates from the mid‑1520s, likely between 1525 and 1530. Executed in the Northern Renaissance style, the work presents a single figure of African descent rendered with careful attention to facial features and attire. It stands out in early modern European art for its rare focus on an individual black subject rather than a symbolic or allegorical representation.