BY ALBERT CHEN

A portrait attributed to Conrad Faber von Kreuznach sold for €295,000 at Bonhams in Paris on 4 November 2026, far above its €40,000–60,000 estimate. Bonhams described the result as a new auction record for the artist. The Renaissance panel led From Antwerp to Bruges: The Collection of a Flemish Connoisseur, a morning auction totaling €700,100. The sale price includes buyer’s premium; the estimate excludes it.

A Gentleman, a Beret and a Hidden Gold Chain

Dated 1519, the painting shows an unidentified man whose age is recorded as twenty-seven. His black gown and broad beret frame a white collar and a gold chain that disappears beneath the dark clothing. Bonhams’ catalogue notes that no badge or insignia is visible on the chain, leaving the sitter’s identity unresolved while making his wealth apparent. Against the blue-green background, the contrast between restrained dress and expensive ornament gives the portrait much of its presence.

The oil-on-panel work measures 54.7 by 36 centimeters. Its recorded provenance includes a sale in Lucerne in 1944, a Swiss private collection and a Koller auction in Zürich in 2000. It was offered as attributed to Faber, a qualification that remains part of the painting’s identification following the sale. The record claim is Bonhams’ assessment of the result, rather than a newly established attribution.

Portraits of Frankfurt’s Elite

Faber worked principally in Frankfurt, where his portraits recorded members of the city’s prosperous society. The Städel Museum holds his 1535 portrait of Gilbrecht von Holzhausen and its companion portrait of Anna von Holzhausen, part of a family portrait collection preserved across generations. That wider context helps explain the interest in such works: they combine individual likenesses with evidence of dress, family standing and civic life in Renaissance Germany.

Bonhams places Faber’s surviving body of work at roughly forty paintings, predominantly portraits. The Paris result therefore concerns an artist with a comparatively small surviving output, as well as a panel with a striking sitter and early date. For this auction, those qualities proved enough to carry the price well beyond expectations.

Sources: Bonhams; Städel Museum

Also Read

Jacob Jordaens’s Portrait of His Wife Sells for €154,200 at Bonhams

The World Art News (WAN) is not liable for the content of this publication. All statements and views expressed herein are opinions only. Act at your own risk. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission. © The World Art News