The Madonna of the Carnation

Virgin with the Carnation goes back to a lost work by Rogier van der Weyden, the Madonna of the Rose Hedge, a copy of which is to be found at the Louvre in Paris. The high quality of the work, with its authentic psychological expression and the fine rendering of the different fabrics, leads us to suggest that the panel in Ghent was created by someone closely associated with him. The relative smallness and the intimacy of the painting indicate that it was probably a religious work for private use. Mary’s red robe and the red carnation, a traditional symbol of conjugal love, refer to Christ’s Passion and divine love.