KEY, Adriaen Thomasz
(b. ca. 1544, Antwerpen, d. after 1589, Antwerpen)

Portrait of a Bearded Gentleman

1574
Oil on panel, 76 x 60 cm
Private collection

The sitter of this portrait is an unidentified bearded gentleman, bust-length, in a black doublet with a white lace ruff. Before the Second World War, the painting had traditionally been thought to be the work of Antonis Mor. In 1940, it was looted by the Nazi authorities. After recovered by the Allies in 1945 it was placed in the custody of the Dutch Government, and an attribution to Frans Pourbus the Elder had been assigned and generally accepted. Pourbus is an artist whose work is often confused with that of Key. After careful cleaning, Key's monogram has been revealed and any uncertainty over the attribution has been dispelled.