The Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist

Pairing the figures of the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist, this panel was probably once the right half of a diptych. A representation of Christ after the Crucifixion, a type characterized as the “Man of Sorrows,” probably filled the lost left-hand panel and would have been the object of the tearful gazes of Mary and John and also of the meditation of the diptych’s owner. The textured gold background suggests that the figures exist in a visionary space, suited to the meditative function of the ensemble. The painting’s style and its underdrawing suggest that it may be the work of one of Jacob Cornelisz.’s close associates, an artist who has been named for a sketchbook preserved in Berlin. (Source: Art Institute of Chicago)