Close
Manufacturer
Frans (II) PourbusPeriod and date
16de eeuwThis fantastic portrait is an early work by Frans Pourbus II. Shortly after completing it, he became court painter to Albrecht and Isabella and his style became more formal. The Latin inscription explains who is depicted: Petrus Ricardus. The books by Galenus and Hippocrates on the table offer clues as to his function. He was a professor at Leuven University, the city doctor of Ghent, and court physician to the viceroys. Emblazoned upon the coat of arms is his motto nil temere: nothing rash.
MASTERPIECE
Frans Pourbus II was 23 or 24 years old when he painted this portrait. Self-aware and self-assured, he signs the painting below the inscription in the top left with ‘francisco pourbus fecit’. He does this not in small letters that hardly stand out, but rather in a decorative calligraphic style. The writing can be related to the work of his contemporary Jan I van de Velde (1568–1623), who a few years later publishes this calligraphic style in his Spieghel der schrijfkonste (Mirror of the Art of Writing) (1605). It is also notable that Pourbus hispanicizes his name, which suggests a leaning towards the Spanish court. This work is from the beginning of the master’s career, which soon takes off when he starts working for the court.
