Hugo van der Goes: Portrait of a man (1475)

(Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA)

Hugo van der Goes (1430/1440-1482) was a Flemish artist who is known for several famous altarpieces like the The Portinari Triptych and the Monforte Altar. This painting of an unknown man used to be a part of a larger painting, probably a triptych, which was cut into several pieces to be sold (something which was done very often). The man was probably the donor of the triptych and has his hands joined in eternal prayer with his eyes directed toward the missing religious scene. The realism of the man is a trademark of Hugo van der Goes. Painting from around 1475.