Altar of the Seven Sacraments (Rogier van der Weyden)

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Altar of the Seven Sacraments (Rogier van der Weyden)
Altar of the Seven Sacraments
Rogier van der Weyden , 1445-1450
oil on wood
200 × 223 cm
Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Antwerp)

The Altar of the Seven Sacraments or Sacrament Altar is a triptych with fixed wings by Rogier van der Weyden . The picture, painted between 1445 and 1450, probably for a church in Poligny , is in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp .

Motif

Rogier van der Weyden depicts the seven sacraments in his triptych . Baptism , confirmation and the sacrament of penance are depicted on the left panel . The foreground of the central panel is dominated by the crucifixion of Christ , possibly van der Weyden's only original contribution to this painting; the other parts were made by his workshop. The sacrament of the altar can be seen in the background of the central panel . The Sacrament of Orders , the Sacrament of Marriage and the Anointing of the Sick are shown on the right wing.

Above the respective sacraments, angels are depicted with scrolls, whose robes create a color reference to the respective sacrament, starting with white for baptism to black for the last sacraments. There are other figures on the wings, probably representing the creators of the picture. Some heads have been inserted after portraits after completion. The inner frame of the picture is painted, in the spandrels of the arches there are coats of arms, probably those of the donor. This is probably Jean Chevrot, who was Bishop of Tournai from 1436 to 1460 . Van der Weyden probably added his coat of arms to the left corner of the middle section. According to the current state of research, the coat of arms on the right is the coat of arms of the Tournai diocese.

literature

  • Felix Thürlemann : Rogier van der Weyden: Life and Work, CH Beck Knowledge 2006, ISBN 3-4065-3592-5 .
  • Winged altars: Caterina Limentani Virdis, Mari Pietrogiovanna, Munich, Hirmer, 2002, ISBN 3-7774-9520-4 .
  • Davies, Martin: Rogier van der Weyden: An essay: With a critical catalog of all works ascribed to him and Robert Campin, Munich 1972, p. 59f.