WEYDEN, Rogier van der
(b. 1400, Tournai, d. 1464, Bruxelles)

Portrait of a Man (Guillaume Fillastre?)

1440s
Oil on panel, 33,7 x 23 cm
Courtauld Gallery, London

Both the attribution of this picture and the identity of the sitter are still disputed. The portrait is chiefly interesting for the fact that it still has its original frame and a painting on its reverse side. Such portraits were therefore not always hung on a wall - although that was presumably sometimes the case, and in fact this picture still has an original ring from whích to hang it - but obviously these relatively small portrait panels could be picked up for viewing, like a modern portrait photograph. Perhaps they were kept in cases or closets at other times.