Portrait of a Man with Carnation

An old man holding a carnation

An elderly man in a wide fur hat looks out at us, holding a small red and white carnation between his fingers. The panel is tiny, about 20 by 13 centimetres, and belongs to the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

It was long thought to be by Jan van Eyck himself. Today it is generally given to a follower working in his manner, close to his style but not by his hand. It is still a striking example of the precise realism that Van Eyck made famous.

A face without flattery

The man’s face is heavy and lined, with pouches under the eyes, a slightly drooping mouth and large ears. The painter recorded every fold of skin. His brown eyes look directly at the viewer, alert despite his age.

A carnation and a ring

In his right hand he holds a carnation, its petals painted with tiny touches of red and white. Carnations often appear in portraits connected with engagement or marriage, though the exact meaning here is uncertain. A gold ring with a red stone shines on his finger.

A cross with a small bell

Around his neck hangs a silver chain with a tau-shaped cross and a little bell. This is the badge of the Order of Saint Anthony, a knightly confraternity linked to the counts of Hainaut. It identifies him as a member of an elite circle, even though his name is unknown.

Who is the man?

The sitter is unknown. He wears a fur hat and a fur-lined coat, and around his neck hangs a chain with a small cross and a bell. The badge has been linked to the Order of Saint Anthony, a confraternity in Hainaut whose emblem was a tau-shaped cross with a bell. This suggests he was a member, perhaps a nobleman or official, but his name has not been identified.

What does the carnation mean?

In fifteenth-century Flanders, a carnation was often linked with engagement and marriage. Men sometimes held a flower in portraits made for a future bride. But the sitter here is elderly, which makes that reading less likely. The carnation was also a symbol of Christ’s Passion, because its shape recalled nails. The meaning remains open.

Van Eyck or a follower?

For a long time, the portrait was attributed to Jan van Eyck himself. Scientific study and style comparison have led most experts to think it was painted by a follower, or copied after a lost original by Van Eyck. The handling of the face is detailed but somewhat harder than in his autograph works. The panel still shows how widely Van Eyck’s style was imitated.

A tiny portrait

At about 20 by 13 centimetres, the panel is small enough to hold in the hand. Such portraits were made to be kept, carried or given as gifts. Their small size invites close looking, and the detail rewards it: wrinkles, stubble and the texture of fur are all carefully recorded.

Where to see it

The portrait belongs to the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. Our hand-painted oil reproduction follows this composition. For more portraits, explore our famous portraits.

Questions about Portrait of a Man with a Carnation

Who painted it?

It was once given to Jan van Eyck but is now generally attributed to a follower working in his style.

Where is the original?

Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.

What is the cross with a bell?

The badge of the Order of Saint Anthony.

How large is it?

About 19.8 × 13.4 centimetres, oil on oak panel.

What is the badge on his chain?

A cross and bell, linked to the Order of Saint Anthony in Hainaut.

Is it by Jan van Eyck?

Today it is usually considered the work of a follower or a copy after a lost original.

Sources and image credit

• Wikimedia Commons: Man with pinks, Gemäldegalerie Berlin (Google Art Project)
• Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Public-domain reproduction of Portrait of a Man with a Carnation, via Wikimedia Commons (Google Art Project). Detail images are crops of the same historical painting; no reconstruction or upscaling.