MASSYS, Jan
(b. ca. 1510, Antwerpen, d. 1575, Antwerpen)

A Praying Monk

1530s
Oil on oak panel in an engaged frame, 35 x 28 cm
Private collection

This painting is a variant of a lost original by Massys' father, Quentin, but reinterpreted into an entirely new composition. While the present panel features a sole figure with eyes closed and fingers locked as he rests deep in quiet prayer, Quentin's original invention would have included an additional figure to the right.