Artwork
Portrait of a Man with a Rosary
Portrait of a Man with a Rosary is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1508 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Central to the composition's iconography is the rosary, an object explicitly identified as being held or associated with the sitter.
The work depicts an unidentified man, presented as a formal portrait from the year 1508. Central to the composition's iconography is the rosary, an object explicitly identified as being held or associated with the sitter. This inclusion of the rosary serves as a primary symbol of the subject's piety and religious devotion, a common thematic element in portraiture of the era that emphasizes the sitter's spiritual character alongside their physical likeness.
The painting functions as a representation of a specific individual whose identity remains unrecorded, yet whose faith is visually articulated through the prominent display of the prayer beads. The focus on this religious artifact suggests the work was intended to commemorate the man's devout nature.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on an oak panel, a support characteristic of Northern European painting practice in the early sixteenth century. The portrait measures 47.6 by 35.2 centimeters, a modest vertical format suited to a single half-length sitter. The medium and panel support are consistent with Cranach the Elder's established technique of the period, allowing for the precise linear handling and refined surface finish evident in his portraiture from around 1508.
The composition centers on a male figure holding a rosary, with the object rendered in careful detail against the figure.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1508 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, the work is an oil-on-oak panel portrait measuring 47.6 by 35.2 centimeters. The piece depicts an unidentified man holding a rosary. Historical records indicate that the painting was once owned by Louisine Havemeyer before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While the specific commission details and original patron remain unrecorded in the provided sources, the work's creation is firmly dated to 1508, placing it within the artist's early career period. The attribution to Cranach the Elder is consistent across available documentation, confirming its origin as a significant German Renaissance portrait.
Portrait of a Man with a Rosary is an oil painting on oak panel created by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1508. The work is classified as a portrait and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, where it is listed under the museum’s holdings. It entered the museum through the bequest of Louisine Havemeyer, a noted American collector and philanthropist.
The painting’s accession number has not been published in the available documentation, and no exhibition record is cited in the sources consulted. Its provenance is traced to the ownership of Havemeyer before its acquisition by the Met.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Portrait of a Man with a Rosary, was completed by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1508. It presents an anonymous male figure engaged in private devotion. The artwork is currently housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cranach's early portraiture often captured individuals with a directness that characterized Northern Renaissance art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
