Under UV lighting, an inscription is revealed on the back of the painting. In faded Latin it identifies the sitter as Gilles Joye.
Detail of folded hands
Detail of ring
Detail of coat of arms
Detail of right side of frame
Hans Memling
South Netherlandish, 1430/40–1494
The Canon Gilles Joye
1472
According to inscriptions on this painting’s frame, Gilles Joye, a priest and composer, was 47 years old when Memling painted his portrait. The artist favored realism over flattery, recording wrinkles around the sitter’s eyes and on his neck. Joye’s coat of arms can be seen on his ring and again on the frame. Despite the priest’s pious demeanor, church records suggest a more colorful personality—he was reprimanded for brawling, using offensive language, and living with a woman.
| Medium | tempera with oil on panel in original painted frame |
| Dimensions | 14 13/16 x 11 7/16 in. (37.6 x 29.1 cm) Frame: 21 7/8 x 18 1/2 x 2 1/16 in. (55.6 x 47 x 5.2 cm) |
| Object Number | 1955.943 |
| Acquisition | Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
Hans Memling, The Canon Gilles Joye, 1472, tempera with oil on panel in original painted frame. Clark Art Institute, 1955.943
Select Bibliography
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