Anonymous: Memorial triptych (after 1521)

(Rijkmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

A painting by various anonymous Dutch and/ or Flemish artists. This memorial triptych is composed of several pieces which have been constructed into 1 single triptych. The central piece is the oldest. It shows the Lamentation of Christ and is a copy of the Flemish artist Hugo van der Goes (1430-1482). Dendrochronology shows that the central piece comes from 1521-1540. the two side panels shows unknown donors with saints. On the left side the male donors with a man, two young men and six boys in the foreground, all presumably his sons. Behind them is John the Evangelist, holding his chalice and making a gesture of blessing. On the right side are the female donors: the mother of the family with her presumed daughters - four young women, one wearing a nun’s habit, and a row of four girls. Behind them stands the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. both side panels were made later, around 1561. The top and bottom frames shows he coat of arms of the Guild of Saint Luke (the artist guild) and an epitaph honouring the souls of Willem Gertz (d. 13 March 1534), his wife Stijntgen Dirck Claessens (d. 6 September 1531), Maria Willemsz (d. 5 April 1538) and Anna Willemsz (d. 14 September 1537) - for this reason the triptych was known as the Gertz memorial triptych. When these frames were constructed is unknown and these were probably added to the painting in the 19th century. The difference in the style of the central panel and both side panels show that these were made by two different artist. Either the donor ordered the central panel earlier from a different artist or simply used an existing painting. Paintings from 1520-1560.