Portrait of Ruben Parduyn, Jan Gossart (copy after), after c. 1644 – (Jan Gossart) ◄ Previous Next ►

Artist: Jan Gossart

Date: 1644

Size: 74 x 59 cm

Technique: Oil On Panel

This half-length portrait of a man, who is holding a palm frond in his right hand, is identified in the inscription on the reverse of the panel as the 14th-century knight Ruben Parduyn, who was a member of a Jerusalem brotherhood. He is wearing a red garment with a dark fur-lined cloak on top, a white pleated undershirt and a black bonnet. He has a signet ring on his left index finger with his family coat of arms: a red chevron on a gold field, with three red stars grouped two above one.10 In the past the man was identified as a knight of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, but the palm he is holding and the insignia around his neck make it clear that he is a member of the Brotherhood of Jerusalem Pilgrims. The palm was a requisite which the pilgrims who made the long journey to Jerusalem on foot brought back with them from the Holy Land and carried through the streets in procession on Palm Sunday.11 Grete Ring suspected in 1913 that the Amsterdam painting is a later copy after a 16th-century original in the manner of Jan Gossart.12 Dendrochronology has now confirmed her suspicion, since the panel could not have been ready for use before 1638. There are two other versions of this portrait which probably do date from the 16th century (fig. a, fig. b).13 A fourth version probably dates from the 18th century.14 The 16th-century paintings are variously attributed to Jan Gossart and Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen. The present painting entered the Rijksmuseum nearly 125 years ago as part of a large group of family portraits with the bequest of Jonkheer Jacob de Witte van Citters.15 One of the most important members of the Van Citters family was Aernout van Citters (1633-96), who in 1663 married Josina Parduyn (1642-1718). She came from a family that was represented on the city council of Bruges until the 18th century.16 This means that the Amsterdam portrait of Ruben Parduyn can probably be dated after the couple’s marriage in 1663. In order to complete the series of portraits of forebears it must then have been copied from the 16th-century version, which at the time undoubtedly belonged to the Parduyn family. A total of six portraits of members of that family entered the Van Citters collection through Josina Parduyn or her daughter Maria van Citters (1684-1754).17 Nothing more is known about the sitter, but given Josina’s Bruges background he was probably a member of the Jerusalem brotherhood in the city. Another difficulty is presented by the inscription and coats of arms on the back of the panel, which are suspected to date from the 18th century. Similar inscriptions are found on many portraits from the Van Citters collection.18 On the back of all the portraits of Ruben Parduyn it is stated that he married one Barbara Floris in 1320, whereas a more plausible date would be 1520, given the assumed date of the prototype. (Daantje Meuwissen)