POLACK, Jan
(b. ca. 1450, near Kraków, d. 1519, München)

Portrait of a Benedictine Monk

1484
Oil on panel, 57 x 41 cm
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

In this painting the artist shows the expressive force of the sitters face: a broad head with a serious and austere expression emphasized by the eyes and the set of the mouth. The monk's habit is well painted, created from gradations of black which form sharp outlines and hard and angular folds.

At the top of the picture is an inscription with the date of its execution.