Jan van Scorel: Portrait of a Young Scholar (1531)

(Museum Boijmans van Beuningen,Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

A portrait of an unknown young scholar this time. He is a student of the Latin school and his age is also given at the top right: 'AETATIS 12' or 'at the age of 12'. Two latin phrases are on the painting. At the bottom you can read: 'Quis dives qui nil cupit pauper avarus' or 'He who does not desire anything is rich, the one who is greedy is poor'. On the note the young boy is holding reads (in mirror writing): 'Omnia dat dominus non habet ergo minus' or 'The Lord provides everything and yet has nothing less'. The painting also provides the creation date: 1531.