BARTHOLOMÄUS BRUYN I (1493-1555) Lot n° 2

(to be attributed to) Portrait of a man holding a book, half-length, in a fur-trimmed mantle and a black hat, 1544. Dated above in the centre '1544'. Oil on panel, shaped top, in an integral frame. Mounted in a wooden case with green velvet, behind glass. 32 x 23 cm (47.5 x 38 x 6.5 cm) The manner in which this man is portrayed characterises the genre of portrait painting in the city of Cologne during the second quarter of the 16th century. The naturalistic rendering of the face, the clothing - including the rather too small beret -, and the choice of the top-rounded panel situates this portrait of an unidentified sitter in the studio of Bartholomäus Bruyn I. The high quality in the brushwork in the face, makes an attribution to the master himself not unlikely, although the same technical quality is not found in the rendering of the hands. Possibly he relied on studio assistants for the hands. It is known that Bartholomäus Bruyn had a productive studio in which – according to the archives- also his two sons were active. Bruyn’s religious paintings, as well as his portraits, depict a strong influence of Joos van Cleve (c. 1485/90-1540/41), who, like Bartholomäus, was an apprentice in the studio of Jan Joest (c. 1450/60-1519). Bartholomäus Bruyn was one of the leading portrait painters of prosperous city of Cologne. He was a member of the city council (Rat der Vierundvierzig) in 1518 and 1521, and later councillor (Ratsherrn) in 1549 and 1553. As many of Bartholomäus Bruyns' patrons were distinguished couples who had there double portraits made as diptychs, it is not unlikely that a pendant depicting the spouse of the anonymous man was created alongside this panel. Similarly, the portrait of Elisabeth Bellinghausen (c. 1518- c. 1577) in the collection of the Mauritshuis was recently reunited with that her fiancé Jakob Omphalius (1500-1567) after being separated for more than 100 years.¹ Lit.: 1. https://www.codart.nl/acquisitions/mauritshuis-acquires-portrait-of-jakob-omphalius-by-batholomaus-bruyn/, consulted on 7.5.2024.