Portrait of a Knight of the Golden Fleece

The unidentified sitter fills the shallow space, his body truncated by the frame to focus our attention. The close description encourages us to look carefully: he turns away, allowing us to observe him without having to respond to his return gaze. He holds a rosary and is engaged in silent prayer as he “tells” the beads – his disengagement motivated by piety. A missing pair to this panel may have shown the Virgin and Child, the object of his devotion. The noble sitter wears the collar of the Golden Fleece, a prestigious knightly Order.