A Man With A Skull Print

Product Description

The sitter & the coat of arms at the upper left have not been identified. In the past the portrait has been described as being of a ' Medical Professor', presumably because of the presence of the skull. But in a 16th century work this is more likely to be intended as a 'memento mori' (reminder of the brevity of mortal life). When it was acquired by the Gallery this painting was attributed to Holbein. Subsequently it has been described as German, Netherlandish & as a work by Neufchâtel. It has also been suggested that the painting is a fake of the early 19th century, but this is not the case.