Artwork
Central panel of a Memorial Triptych, formerly called the Gertz Memorial Triptych, with the Lamentation
Central panel of a Memorial Triptych, formerly called the Gertz Memorial Triptych, with the Lamentation is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hugo Van der Goes. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The piece remains a significant example of Hugo van der Goes's contribution to the genre of religious painting in the Low Countries.
The central panel depicts the Lamentation, a religious scene illustrating the mourning of Christ's body following the Crucifixion. As part of a memorial triptych, the work functions as a devotional object intended to inspire contemplation and prayer. The imagery is characteristic of Northern Renaissance religious art, focusing on the emotional gravity of the moment to facilitate a personal connection with the sacred narrative.
The piece remains a significant example of Hugo van der Goes's contribution to the genre of religious painting in the Low Countries.
Technique & Style
The central panel of the Memorial Triptych is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a technique consistent with Netherlandish practice of the period. According to the available record, the work measures 85 cm in height by 107 cm in width and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The panel depicts a Lamentation of Christ, rendered in the religious genre tradition associated with Hugo van der Goes.
No further details regarding paint handling, surface condition, support preparation, or specific stylistic qualities are documented in the provided sources.
History & Provenance
The triptych’s central panel was painted by Hugo van der Goes in the Low Countries and dated to 1527, a date recorded in both the internal record and the Wikidata entry.
By the early twentieth century the work was in the United States and known as the Gertz Memorial Triptych. It later entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains located. The museum’s record confirms the dimensions as 85 cm in height and 107 cm in width, consistent with the panel format of a triptych’s central section.
The central panel of the Memorial Triptych, formerly called the Gertz Memorial Triptych, with the Lamentation is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is located.
No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented beyond its current placement in the museum's collection.
Overview
This central panel of a Memorial Triptych, dated to 1527, is an oil painting by Hugo van der Goes, a prominent Flemish artist of the Northern Renaissance. It is now part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
Context
The Lamentation scene fits within a long tradition of religious art depicting the mourning of Christ, a common theme in Christian iconography.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Hugo van der Goes (c. 1430/1440 – 1482) was a Flemish painter who was one of the most significant and original Early Netherlandish painters of the late 15th century. Van der Goes was an important painter of altarpieces…
Vienna Diptych
Portinari Triptych
Monforte Altarpiece
Adoration of the Magi (Triptych)
The Mourning of Christ
Adoration of the Shepherds
Trinity Altarpiece
Left wing of a Memorial Triptych, formerly called the Gertz Memorial Triptych, with nine male Donor Portraits with Saint John the Evangelist (inner), and Saint Peter (outer)
