The Circumcision of Christ (left wing), The Birth of… | MSK Gent
Ga naar inhoud (Enter)

The Circumcision of Christ (left wing), The Birth of Christ (centre panel), The Adoration of the Magi (right wing), The Mass of Saint Gregory (closed, left wing), The Transfiguration (closed, right wing), ca. 1475 - ca. 1480

  • oil paint, panel
  • 84 x 68.8 cm
  • Inv. 1903-I

Public Domain

Download PDF

The Master of the Wenemaer Triptych refers to a follower of Hugo van der Goes who was active in Ghent around 1480. The Wenemaer Triptych is named after the old Wenemaer almshouse or hospital on the Veerleplein in Ghent, where this triptych was once preserved. The almshouse was founded in 1323 by Willem Wenemaer, one of the most influential burghers of Ghent at the time, and his wife, Margriet de Brune. It cared for and sheltered poor and sickly elderly citizens. The triptych depicts several scenes from Jesus’ childhood. The central panel features The Adoration of the Shepherds, the left panel The Presentation in the Temple and the right panel The Adoration of the Magi. The bright, decorative colour palette in combination with gold is reminiscent of the works of the Ghent miniature painters of the late 15th century. Note the graceful poses and unnaturally elongated figures.

Artist

Master of the Wenemaer Triptych Wikidata
Ghent 1480
painters (artists)AAT

Title The Circumcision of Christ (left wing), The Birth of Christ (centre panel), The Adoration of the Magi (right wing), The Mass of Saint Gregory (closed, left wing), The Transfiguration (closed, right wing)
Date ca. 1475 - ca. 1480
Period 15th century
Location Ghent TGN
Collection paintings AAT
Object type oil paintings (visual works) AAT
Inventory number 1903-I
Acquisition credit long-term loan
OCMW
Ghent
1903
Current whereabouts Work on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1903-I
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/341/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300055874 religious symbolism AAT
300015636 landscapes AAT
Keywords Iconclass 11C God the Father Iconclass
11C2 God the Father represented as human being, usually with crown or tiara or sceptre and/or globe Iconclass
11D Christ Iconclass
11D3 Christ as adult Iconclass
11D334 adult Christ together with apostles, evangelists, saints, etc. Iconclass
11H saints Iconclass
11H(GREGORY) pope Gregory the Great; possible attributes: dove, emperor Trajan Iconclass
11H(GREGORY)51 the mass of St. Gregory the Great: Christ appears above the altar with the instruments of the Passion; maybe blood spouts from Christ's side Iconclass
11H(JAMES) male saints (JAMES) Iconclass
11H(JOHN THE BAPTIST) John the Baptist; possible attributes: book, reed cross, baptismal cup, honeycomb, lamb, staff Iconclass
11H(PETER) the apostle Peter, first bishop of Rome; possible attributes: book, cock, (upturned) cross, (triple) crozier, fish, key, scroll, ship, tiara Iconclass
11P3111 pope Iconclass
11P31111 insignia of the pope, e.g. tiara Iconclass
11P3112 cardinal Iconclass
11P3122 deacon (Roman Catholic) Iconclass
11Q43 stigmatization, stigmata Iconclass
11Q511 the Bible as a book Iconclass
11Q7141 altars (religious fixtures) Iconclass
11Q714113 altar with altar-piece Iconclass
11Q71441 chalice Iconclass
22C311 nimbus, halo ~ radiance emanating from persons or things Iconclass
22C3111 cross-nimbus Iconclass
25G1 plants (in general) Iconclass
25G3 trees Iconclass
25H1 landscapes in the temperate zone Iconclass
25H11 mountains Iconclass
25H113 (high) hill Iconclass
25I12 prospect of city, town panorama, silhouette of city Iconclass
41A43(TILED FLOOR) floor-covering (TILED FLOOR) Iconclass
41B313 candlestick Iconclass
41B33 lantern Iconclass
41D263 walking-stick, staff, cane Iconclass
45B the soldier; the soldier's life Iconclass
46C11 road, path Iconclass
48C5142 picture within picture Iconclass
61E(JERUSALEM) names of cities and villages (JERUSALEM) Iconclass
73 New Testament Iconclass
73B23 adoration of the Christ-child by Mary and Joseph Iconclass
73B3 circumcision of the Christ-child by the priest in the temple (Luke 2:21) Iconclass
73B57 adoration of the kings: the Wise Men present their gifts to the Christ-child (gold, frankincense and myrrh) Iconclass
73C public life of Christ: from his baptism until the Passion Iconclass
73C713 the Transfiguration: Moses and Elijah appear on either side of Christ on Mount Tabor (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36) Iconclass
73C7131 Christ, Peter, James and John climb the mountain ~ the Transfiguration Iconclass
73D73 Man of Sorrows, 'Imago Pietatis', 'Erbarmdebild', 'Schmerzensmann'; the upright Christ showing his wounds, usually bearing the crown of thorns, and accompanied by the instruments of the Passion, standing or sitting in his tomb Iconclass
73D82 single instruments of the Passion Iconclass
73D82(BIBLE) single instruments of the Passion (BIBLE) Iconclass
73D82(CHALICE) single instruments of the Passion (CHALICE) Iconclass
73D82(COIN) single instruments of the Passion (COIN) Iconclass
73D82(CROSS) cross ~ instruments of the Passion Iconclass
73D82(DICE) single instruments of the Passion (DICE) Iconclass
73D82(HAMMER) single instruments of the Passion (HAMMER) Iconclass
73D82(HAND) single instruments of the Passion (HAND) Iconclass
73D82(LADDER) single instruments of the Passion (LADDER) Iconclass
73D82(LANCE) lance ~ instruments of the Passion Iconclass
73D82(NAILS) nails ~ instruments of the Passion Iconclass
73D82(PALM) single instruments of the Passion (PALM) Iconclass
73D82(PINCERS) single instruments of the Passion (PINCERS) Iconclass
73D82(ROPE) single instruments of the Passion (ROPE) Iconclass
73D82(SHROUD) shroud ~ instruments of the Passion Iconclass
73D82(SPONGE) single instruments of the Passion (SPONGE) Iconclass
73D82(SWORD) single instruments of the Passion (SWORD) Iconclass
School / Style Early Netherlandish AAT
A propos de quelques tableaux curieux des XVe et XVIe siècles au Musée de Gand / Louis Maeterlinck. - [s.l.] : [s.n.], [s.a.] (p. 340-345, nr. 8)
Museum van Schoone Kunsten : Catalogus ; Oude Meesters, Schilderstukken, teekeningen, plaatsneden (met geschiedkundig overzicht) / Maurice Dupuis, Georges Charles Nicolas Marie Hulin de Loo, Fritz Van Loo. - Gent : Drukkerij F. De Vos, 1938 ; Gent : Stad Gent, 1938 (p. 144)
Meester van de Wenemaertriptiek / Jan-Pieter Ballegeer. - [s.l.] : [s.n.], [s.a.] (p. 22-23)
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent / Robert Hoozee. - Brussel : Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, 1988 (p. 11, 16)
Cadres et supports dans la peinture flamande aux 15e et 16e siècles / Hélène Verougstraete-Marcq, Roger Van Schoute. - Heure-le-Romain : [s.n.] : 1989 (p. 285-286)
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent = Museum of Fine Arts Ghent / Claudie De Guillebon, Jacques Ostier, Robert Hoozee, Monique Tahon-Vanroose. - Parijs : Association des Amis de "Musées 2000", 1989 (p. 10-11 (ill.))
Oude Meesters uit het Museum voor schone Kunsten Gent in de crypte van de Sint-Baafskathedraal. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2004 (s.p., cat. 5)
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. I, p. 128-129 (ill.))
Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : De collectie (tentoonstelling vanaf 21 maart 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2021
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand : La Collection (exposition dès le 21 mars 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gand : Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand, 2021
Do you have any suggestions, questions or information about this work?
Write us, collectie.msk@stad.gent