| In his selfportrait, which is slightly reminiscent of portraits by Joos van Cleve, Michael Ostendorfer presents himself in a brocade robe trimmed with wildcat fur – dressed with some distinction, in other words. His palette and paintbrush here acquire the character of attributes. Concealed clues sometimes reveal that a portrait was painted for a particular reason. Ostendorfer holds a carnation in his hand. In the fifteenth and sixteenth century, this flower was regarded as a symbol of engagement and marriage. There is a written reference to this, albeit added at a later date, on the reverse of the picture: “Michael Ostendorfer, self-portrait as bridegroom”. Carnations were said to have medicinal properties and to ward off demons; red and white carnations, it was believed, offered protection from epidemics and sickness. Carnation water was thought to encourage conception, and so the flower also became a fertility symbol. |
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Oil on panel
height 41 cm, width 31 cm
Inv.-No. GE1491
Provenance: 1939 from Schloss Leopoldstein to the gallery in Vienna, probably as part of the acquisition of the Kalwang estate
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