Man with a Rosary

This picture must once have formed the right wing of a diptych. On the left would have been a depiction of the Virgin and Child, their presence would have made sense of the direction of the man's gaze and of his pose. The corresponding painting does not seem to have survived, but there are several versions known of a composition of the Virgin and Child with a similar background, which may reflect the original partner to this portrait. (http://www.nationalgallery.org)