Titus’ Conquest of Jerusalem, ca. 1469 - ca. 1483

Titus’ siege and conquest of Jerusalem in 70 BC is depicted in detail and in a style reminiscent of late mediaeval miniature painting. Moving from left to right we see the advancing cavalry, the crucifixion of prisoners, the siege outside the walls, the violence of war within the city and the atrocities committed against the inhabitants.The painting alludes to the siege of Ghent by the Habsburg emperor Frederik III and his son, Maximilian of Austria. The coat of arms on the tents and banners is also related to the German-Austrian alliance that laid siege to Ghent in mid-1488.The rectangular panel is known as a predella, an Italian word referring to the lower section of an altarpiece. This part usually remains visible when the main panels are closed. This predella comes from the Vigilius chapel in the crypt of St Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. It is ascribed to the Viennese Master of Mary of Burgundy who lived in Ghent at the end of the fifteenth century. However, the altarpiece of which it was a part has since been lost.