Artwork
Hugo van der Goes. Portret van een Benedictijnse monnik
Hugo van der Goes. Portret van een Benedictijnse monnik is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hugo Van der Goes. It is held in the collection of the Catholic University of Leuven.
About this work
Overview
This portrait, attributed to Hugo van der Goes, depicts a Benedictine monk in simple attire, executed with meticulous attention to detail, characteristic of the Flemish Primitives style, circa 1478, in oil on panel.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, a Benedictine monk, is portrayed in humble robes, emphasizing the order's values of simplicity. The realistic rendering of the monk's face and intricate folds of his clothing convey a sense of quiet contemplation.
Technique & Style
Van der Goes employed the Flemish Primitives' hallmark technique of intense realism, evident in the highly detailed, lifelike portrayal of the monk's facial features and the textured, layered folds of his robes.
History & Provenance
Created around 1478, the painting's early history is undocumented. It was later part of a slide collection at Université de Louvain (between 1839-1939), before being acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, its current location.
Context
Part of the 15th-century Flemish Primitives movement, this work reflects the era's religious themes and artistic innovations, aligning with the detailed, realistic styles of contemporaries.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hugo van der Goes (c. 1430/1440 – 1482) was a Flemish painter who was one of the most significant and original Early Netherlandish painters of the late 15th century. Van der Goes was an important painter of altarpieces…
Vienna Diptych
Portinari Triptych
Monforte Altarpiece
Adoration of the Magi (Triptych)
The Mourning of Christ
Adoration of the Shepherds
Trinity Altarpiece
Left wing of a Memorial Triptych, formerly called the Gertz Memorial Triptych, with nine male Donor Portraits with Saint John the Evangelist (inner), and Saint Peter (outer)
Hugo van der Goes. Kruisiging
Hugo van der Goes. Triptych
Jan Cornelis Vermeyen. Portrait of a woman
Jan Gossaert. Jan Cornelis Vermeyen. Sint Donatien in de gedaante van Jean Carondelet
Maarten de Vos. Altaarstuk van de gilde van de oude voetboog
Hugo van der Goes. Kerstverhaal. Aanbidding der Herders
Anonymous. Portrait of a man
Meester van de Legende van Sint Catherina. Triptiek Maria-Lichtmis Presentatie in de tempel
Anthonis Mor van Dashorst. Zelfportret
Nicolas Neufchatel. Portret van Balthasar Dörrer en zijn tweede vrouw Magdalena Bayerin