Art on Wings in The Hague
This sping, under the title Art on Wings, the Mauritshuis Museum is presenting an exiting show of late-medieval alterpiece panels which - now seperated - once formed part of a larger work of art.
Wings
Many late medicval paintings werc originally intended for religious use. Some functioned as altarpieces in churches and chapels, othcrs played a part in private devotion. Usually, panels were attached to form a diptych, triptych or polyptych. Often the
side panels or 'wings' were painted on the back and front so that the altarpiece would display illustrations both whcn open and closed. In later ccnturies most of these 'winged' works of art lost their original function and the various panels were sold
off separately. Sometimes the wooden panels were even sawn lengthwise to separate the front and back paintings. Adrift in the art world, many of thesc fragments eventually found their way into museums and private collections where they are appreciated for
their artistic quality.
Maurtishuis
This spring, under the title Art on Wings, the Mauritshuis museum is presenting an exciting show of late-medieval altarpiece panels which - now separated - oncc formed part of a larger work of art. Also included among the exhibits are several complete
triptychs. The spacious design of the exhibition allows the viewer to see these panels from all sides. Highlight of the show is the temporary reconstruction of a triptych by the Bruges painter Gerard David (c. 145O-1523) of which the outer panels are at
the Mauritshuis and the inner panels at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Diptych
Meanwhile, across thc Hofvijver, at Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder, a sixteenth-century work is on display virtually entirely in original condition. It is a diptych showing scenes from the Passion of Christ. Apart from one split in the 1cft panel, the
diptych's statc of preservation is outstanding. Remarkably, thc carved frames were not made separately and attached to the painted panels, as was usual, but were cut from the same piece of wood. The framing also rcveals traccs of the original decoration
of stylized foliagc. Moreovcr, both panels arc still attached by the original hinges that enable the diptych to be opened and shut. Also authentic is thc chain at the back with which the picce could bc hung on the wall. Private devotion This kind of
diptych would have been for private devotion rather than for display in a church or chapel. When closed, it would have been possible to take the altarpiece wherever required, even on a journey. Opened out, the diptych would prompt the devotee to prayer
and meditation. In the fourteenth century, thc focus of religious life was beginning to move away from formal church services and into the home. Believers were able to cxpress their piety in thcir own way through private worship. Prayerbooks and other
devotional writings called on the faithful to visualize the Passion of Christ and the sorrow of the Virgin Mary as vividly as possible. A diptych like this should be seen in that light. By praying in front of it, the worshipper would be able to
concentrate all the more on the suffering of Christ.
Passion
Shown on the left panel is the Crucifixion at Golgotha, while the right panel shows Christ's body being taken from the Cross and laid out on a shroud. The mountainous landscape continues across both panels, emphasizing the relation between the two scenes.
The same figures surround Christ on both panels: the Virgin Mary, the apostle, and later evangelist John and Mary Magdalene with her jar of ointment. By limiting thc number of figures, thc artist has given the v ork an intimacy which enables the viewer to
empathize more easily with the emotions of the bystanders. On the right Mary raises her arms to heaven in despair, a gesture that seems to echo Christ's extended arms on the Cross.
The Maurtishuis exhibition provides an informative insight into the original function of these variously assembled works of art. The diptych displayed in Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder's spring show offers a valuable complementary exhibit.