Portrait of a Man with a Pink

This is one of the finest paintings Morgan acquired for his personal collection. The sitter may have been a member of the Italian merchant colony in the flourishing city of Bruges, where Memling was the leading painter. He was renowned for his skills as a portraitist, and his works were particularly preferred by foreign visitors to the city, who appreciated his meticulous realism. The pink, or carnation, in the young man's hand is a symbol of betrothal, and the letter he holds in the other may be a love letter or marriage contract, suggesting that the painting commemorates an engagement or wedding. The subject of the portrait may have been a member of the Italian merchant colony living in Bruges. The pink, or carnation, in the young man's hand may be a symbol of betrothal. The painting may therefore be one of a pair of wedding portraits.