Portrait of a Young Man by Hans Memling
This painting by Hans Memling was done sometime in the 15th century. Hans Memling was a painter who became popular in Italy for his portraits which feature landscape backgrounds. Memling became so prosperous through his art that he was one of the richest citizens of Bruges in 1480. However, his wealth and popularity declined somewhat after that. The Romantics and the Victorians who would come later would consider the work of Han Memling the best that medieval art had to offer. His work became very prized in later generations.
This painting is relatively small, measuring about 14 inches by 9 inches. It is a simple oil on panel and does not feature the landscape background that Memling became known for. But it does feature the skill and elegance that made him a focal point of art during his time and afterward. This painting was the property of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy at the time of the war.
It was stolen by Nazi soldiers of the 305th infantry division who took it from the Catello di Poppi sometime around August 22nd, 1944. The painting was loaded onto a truck and made a stop in Forli, Italy on August 31st, 1944. After that, the 10th Army truck which contained this painting and many others continued north and was never seen again. No one knows what happened to the truck or what its destination may have been.
In 1963, two paintings by Antonio del Pollaiolo which were stolen from the Uffizi at the same time as the Memling turned up in the possession of a German waiter in California. This has led some to hope that the Memling might still be around in someone’s possession. Part of this hope comes from the size of the painting in which it could have easily been taken and hidden under someone’s coat, especially a German soldier hoping to make money from the art after the war.