Jan Gossaert: An irreplaceable picture
Sagging jowls, downcast eyes and fallen hairs star in Jan Gossaert's double portrait
Great Western Railways (GWR) container arriving at Manod quarry, Wales, during WWII (1941)The National Gallery, London
An "irreplaceable" picture
In 1939, at the start of the Second World War, the National Gallery's collection was evacuated from London. By 1941 the entire collection had been moved underground to a slate mine in North Wales for safekeeping.
As air raids lessened back in London, it was decided that some paintings could be sent back to the Gallery for temporary display, in a scheme known as the Picture of the Month.
As part of this programme, difficult decisions had to be made about which works to send to London..
The Gallery's Assistant Keeper at the time, Martin Davies, stated that one particular picture would definitely not be making the journey back to the Gallery, owing largely to the fact that it was, in his opinion, "irreplaceable".
An Elderly Couple (about 1520) by Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart)The National Gallery, London
This irreplaceable painting was none other than 'An Elderly Couple' by Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart) , painted in about 1520. The couple are depicted staring past each other, and us, in an astonishingly honest study of old age.
Although prosperously dressed, the pair seem somewhat solemn. Their mouths are turned downwards, their eyes dull and their jowls sagging. The man clutches at his fur collar and staff, while his wife gazes vacantly past him.
Gossaert is famous for his large altarpieces and mythological subjects, but also for his portraits. He was renowned for his exceptional ability to capture remarkable likenesses of his sitters, and for much of his career he worked as a court artist with many notable patrons.
Yet exactly who these sitters are, and why this portrait was painted, remains a mystery.
The only indication of who the couple may have been is their clothing. The fur collars and the ribbon in the man's hat suggest a Netherlandish origin, possibly from the 1510s. Given their age, however, the couple may not have dressed in the latest fashions of their day.
Although they overlap, each figure occupies a self-contained space in the composition, which gives a distinct sense of disconnect between them.
Analysis of the painting has revealed that many small alterations were made to the depiction of the male sitter in particular when Gossaert was preparing his portrait.
The artist altered the contours of the man's face and changed the height of his shoulders and position of his arm. Fewer changes were made in the portrait of the woman.
The differences between the figures do not stop there...
Although depicted behind her husband, the woman appears to be the younger and stronger of the two.
Her portrait is more strongly lit and her face is surrounded by a large white veil which gives her prominence. Gossaert depicts her with a bold pattern of simple shapes, using the stark contrast of her black dress and white headdress to give structure to her portrait.
In stark contrast, the contours of the man's body are crumpled and shrinking. He is dishevelled and poorly shaven, and even appears to be missing his teeth.
Gossaert's portraits display a distinctly sculptural quality and an exquisite attention to detail. We can see the man's stubble, and almost touch the fur of his collar. Gossaert even depicts hairs which have fallen from the man’s head and now rest on his clothes.
Another of the painting's details is the man's hat badge. The badge features a pair of classical lovers embracing in front of a tree. They could be Mercury and Fortuna, the gods of trade and prosperity, referring to the sitters' worldly success, or the lovers Venus and Mars.
It has been suggested that Gossaert included this detail as a subtle, but also direct, contrast to his aged sitters and a bitter commentary on lost youth and passion.
The elderly couple may never have actually seen the finished painting nor been aware of Gossaert’s merciless yet incisive observation of their old age. Despite this, they might have been pleased to know that the portrait would later be described as "irreplaceable".
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