Polyptych of Our Lady of Solitude (Hall 19)
This piece is attributed to an anonymous painter from the Bruges school known as the Master of the Holy Blood. His triptych depicting the Descent from the Cross can be found in the Museum of the Holy Blood in Bruges-hence, his name. By definition, this polyptych is an altarpiece made up of several articulated parts. Once opened, the eleven panels that comprise this piece allude to the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
From left to right, we see: the Prophet Jeremiah, the Circumcision, the Flight out of Egypt, Jesus among the Doctors, Jesus on the Road to Calvary, and Our Lady of Solitude which shows Mary following the death of Jesus, alone and with an attitude of withdrawal. In continuation, we see the Crucifixion, the Pieta, the Holy Burial, Saint John the Evangelist and the Prophet Solomon. The exterior sides of the four doors show four figures. The two central doors feature the Ecce Homo (or the Lashing of Christ and the Crown of Thorns) and the Virgin Mary Kneeling. The outer doors show Mary Magdalene and Saint John the Evangelist, who appears to be protecting the donor, shown kneeling at his feet. We can assume that it was this religious man who commissioned and financed the work, although his reasons are unknown. As usual, the exterior decoration of the doors is worked with grisaille, a technique which employs only whites, grays and black, creating a sort of faux bas relief.
The interesting curved architectural forms in the center are unparalleled in Flemish painting, making it difficult to pin down the piece's original location. The work was painted between 1520 and 1525. The pictorial style and the sort of robes worn by the figures point to the influence of Quintin Massys. It was he who brought sfumato to Flanders-the style introduced by Leonardo da Vinci in Italy, which consists of creating a hazy effect, lending the scene a greater depth and distance.