Portrait of a member of the De Rojas family

Hans Memling
Bruges (Belgium)
118.7 x 63.3 cm

Oil on panel
Musea Brugge,
Museum Sint-Janshospitaal, Bruges
2020.GRO0012.I

This panel used to be part of a triptych. We do not know what the central panel depicts but, on the (once) left wing, we see a kneeling, praying man. Based on the coat of arms in the bottom-right, it is thought to be a member of the prominent Spanish Rojas family, although this is questioned by art historians. This is because the stars on the De Rojas family coat of arms are seven-pointed, while here they are six-pointed. The most famous of the Rojas family was Francisco de Rojas, Spanish ambassador to the Burgundian court. But it is not certain whether the man portrayed is indeed Francisco. Supposedly, the right wing (privately owned) features a reading girl, possibly a family member of this De Rojas scion.

DETAILS

Identification

Title	Portrait of a member of the De Rojas family
Location	Museum Sint-Janshospitaal, Musea Brugge, Bruges (Belgium)
Category	Paintings
Subject	Portraits
Inventory number	2020.GRO0012.I

Production

Creator	Hans Memling
Date	circa 1460-70

Materials and Technique

Materials	Oil paint, oak
Technique	Oil paint on panel
Dimensions	With frame: height 118.7 x width 63.3 cm
	Support: height 107.2 x width 51.6 cm
	Painted surface: height 105.7 x width 50.2 cm

Linked open data

Permalink
IIIF manifest	https://dam.museabrugge.be/memling/manifests/manifest-10.json
Copyright	Musea Brugge is committed to making data available as usable open data. Images of artworks that are not subject to copyright restrictions are published for this purpose under the Creative Commons Zero license. These may be freely used.

Credits

The images were taken by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Brussels) on behalf of Musea Brugge.

Gift from Ambassador J. William Middendorf and the King Baudouin Foundation United States (KBFUS), in honor of Till-Holger Borchert