An Augustinian Friar (?) Praying
- Artist: Gerard David
- Date: about 1515
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "An Augustinian Friar (?) Praying" painted in the style of Gerard David. Here we see a somber figure, likely an Augustinian friar, deeply engaged in prayer. The black cowl and white tunic he wears are traditional attire for members of the Augustinian Order, who took vows of poverty and lived a monastic life.
Note the landscape behind him - it's a mix of fact and fantasy. You can see the towers of two Bruges churches, but they're placed in rolling countryside rather than the middle of the city. The painting was probably part of a larger diptych or triptych, with the object of the friar's devotions on his left.
The date of this painting is estimated to be around 1515, painted in oil on wood. It's likely that the sitter had connections with the two churches depicted behind him, or maybe it was an echo of the Virgin and Child in the missing left panel. Over time, the painting has undergone some changes - the sky was overpainted to a darker blue, and the original frame was at least partly red.
See it in person
An Augustinian Friar (?) Praying hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
