Massys, Quentin - Portrait of a Man; Portrait of a Woman - c1520
This portrait pair presents an exceptional character study of individuals seemingly interrupted from their religeous devotions by something outside of the picture. The sense of a suspended moment, so characteristic of Massys portraits, lends these works a particularly modern appearance, and evokes what Leonardo da Vinci called the "movements of the mind." The panels can be dated about 1520, but the identity of the two sitters is unknown; presumably they portray a husband and wife who were members of the educated bourgeoisie in Antwerp.
Massys, Quentin - Portrait of a Man; Portrait of a Woman - c1520
This portrait pair presents an exceptional character study of individuals seemingly interrupted from their religeous devotions by something outside of the picture. The sense of a suspended moment, so characteristic of Massys portraits, lends these works a particularly modern appearance, and evokes what Leonardo da Vinci called the "movements of the mind." The panels can be dated about 1520, but the identity of the two sitters is unknown; presumably they portray a husband and wife who were members of the educated bourgeoisie in Antwerp.