The artwork, titled “Portrait of a Man with a Falcon,” was created by Petrus Christus around the year 1447. This piece, rendered in silverpoint, is part of the Northern Renaissance art movement and serves as a sketch and study. The artwork measures 18.9 by 14.3 centimeters and is currently housed in the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The artwork displays a detailed sketch of a man holding a falcon. The man is depicted wearing a high-crowned hat and a fur-trimmed garment, indicative of his high status and fashion during the Renaissance period. His serene expression and the fine rendering of his facial features reflect the artist’s meticulous attention to human likenesses. In his hand, he holds a falcon on a perch, symbolizing nobility and the sport of falconry, which was popular among the aristocracy during that era. The background includes subtle indications of the interior setting, possibly alluding to a domestic or specialized space. The use of silverpoint creates fine, crisp lines that emphasize the intricate detailing and finesse of Christus’ technique as a Northern Renaissance artist.
