Legacy
What
is it about a face
Never
seen or met
But
whose image
Stays
in the mind?
The
painter saw him
And
now I see him
Centuries
later,
but
I'm caught.
The
painter can't have lied
About
his look: it's not grand
Or
status laden,
He
gazes from the picture
With
a humble humanity.
He
is pained:
Either
he or
The
world is in trouble
And
his sorrow for it
Can be read
In
crumpled brows
And
patient eyes.
I’d
like to talk with this man.
When
we die, we leave
Little
behind beyond family,
Memories
and goods perhaps:
All
transitory traces.
The
title of the painting
Tags
him as ‘robusto’ –
A
poor testimonial.
It
is not his size which captures attention.
To
be known for an expression
And
of compassion particularly,
is a
truer memorial:
A
legacy given to us
By a
man and his painter
Whose
souls met
And
touched.
The painting is thought to be of Robert de Masmines c 1425
by Robert Campin. It is titled Retrato de un hombre robusto
