Master active in Flanders, first third of the 16th century.
"Calvary".
Oil on oak panel.
It has an inventory label on the back from the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne.
It has later gilding and xylophagous remains.
It shows repainting and frame.
Measurements: 88.5 x 60.5 cm; 99 x 71.5 cm (frame).
A delicate trompe l'oeil emerges from the painting, extending Mary Magdalene's mantle and going beyond the limits of the frame. This delicate device accentuates the marked theatricality of this work, which can be seen in the faces and gestures of the protagonists and in the dynamic presence of the angels who complete the scene. Compositionally, the work is structured through strict symmetry, showing the main subject in the foreground, while in the background a landscape unfolds, crowned by architecture on each of the flanks, and by a mountain range in the centre. Returning to the foreground, it is worth noting the painstaking detail of the angular cloths that make up the garments of the protagonists, the Virgin's veil billowing in the wind, as well as the angels' cloaks in the upper area, the damask of the cloth and the book carried by Saint John, details that denote the great technical, detailed and precious quality of the Flemish school and which recall compositions by great artists such as Van Groot, the master of the Flemish school.
The author has chosen a work with a devotional theme, depicting the Crucifixion of Christ, accompanied by the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene at the foot of the Cross, an iconographic form evolved from the original Byzantine Deesis, which depicted Christ in Majesty accompanied by Mary and Saint John the Baptist. In Western art, the representation of Christ on the cross was preferred as a narrative scene, and the figure of John the Baptist was replaced by that of John the Evangelist. This image, in its conception and form, is the result of the expression of the people and their deepest feelings. The composition of the present work is based on the artist's faithful rendering of the Gospel text, which is why all the figures are clearly represented. During the 15th century, the influence of the Flemish school of painting was a key factor in the development of European art. At that time, Flemish painters established a stylistic model based on the search for reality, focusing on the rendering of the qualities of objects, giving special importance to secondary details and using a smooth, draughtsmanlike technique. In the 16th century, as a result of the introduction of the novelties of the Italian Renaissance, the Flemish style evolved towards a more classical and sculptural style, while retaining its own characteristics.