 |
||||||||
|
Portrait of a
Woman, ca. 1520 Although the man (not pictured) holds rosary beads and the woman, his wife, is shown with an elegant Book of Hours, these portraits are a step away from the traditional devotional triptych, in which a husband and wife, both at prayer, face a religious subject in a central panel. The sense of a suspended moment, so characteristic of Massys’s portraits, lends these pictures a particularly modern appearance. The artist has capitalized on the illusionism of the columned porch setting: the sitters seem to look through the architecture into our space, and their hands rest on an implied sill at the bottom edge of the composition. From Van Eyck to Bruegel Home | Next Page
|
Home |
Home |
Works of Art |
Curatorial Departments |
Collection Database |
Features |
Timeline of Art History |
Explore & Learn |
The Met Store |
Membership |
Ways to Give |
Plan Your Visit |
Calendar |
The Cloisters |
Concerts & Lectures |
Educational Resources |
Events & Programs |
FAQs |
Special Exhibitions |
My Met Museum |
Press Room |
Met Podcast |
Site Index |
Now at the Met |
MuseumKids Photograph Credits Copyright © 2000–2008 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy. |