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47 Portrait of Jan Gerritsz. van Egmond (circa 1470-1523)

Jan Gerritsz. van Egmond was a powerful political figure in Alkmaar, located in the western part of what is now the Netherlands, and this is one of four portraits of him that have survived to the present day. Here he is depicted in the classic three-quarter view, his coat of arms displayed above his head and a scenic landscape stretching out behind him, possibly hinting at the lands under his control. For portraits of men, it was important to communicate the subject’s social status and achievements. Van Egmond holds a small sculpture that may be what is known as a “prayer nut.” The work has been attributed to either Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen or his son, Dirck Jacobsz., both of whom were active in Amsterdam and excelled at the painstaking realism characteristic of northern European art.