Artwork

Left wing of an altarpiece with the Circumcision (inner wing) and the Virgin of an Annunciation (outer wing)

Left wing of an altarpiece with the Circumcision (inner wing) and the Virgin of an Annunciation (outer wing) is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Pseudo Jan Wellens de Cock. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

On the inner surface, the painting illustrates the Circumcision of Christ, a biblical event marking the naming of Jesus eight days after his birth.

The artwork depicts two distinct religious scenes on opposite sides of a single altarpiece wing. On the inner surface, the painting illustrates the Circumcision of Christ, a biblical event marking the naming of Jesus eight days after his birth. The outer face features the Virgin Mary, representing the moment of the Annunciation when she is visited by the angel Gabriel.

As a religious genre piece created in 1520, the work functions as a devotional object within an altarpiece structure. The dual imagery connects the Incarnation on the exterior with the fulfillment of Jewish law on the interior, serving the liturgical and spiritual needs of its original setting.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1520, this religious work is an oil painting applied to a wooden panel support. The piece functions as the left wing of a larger altarpiece, featuring distinct imagery on its inner and outer faces: the Circumcision is depicted on the interior, while the exterior displays the Virgin of an Annunciation. The panel measures 46.8 cm in height and 26.5 cm in width.

Attributed to the artist known as Pseudo Jan Wellens de Cock, the work exemplifies early sixteenth-century Netherlandish painting techniques through its use of oil media on panel, a standard combination for portable devotional images of this period.

History & Provenance

The left wing of an altarpiece, featuring the Circumcision on its inner side and the Virgin of an Annunciation on its outer wing, was created in 1520. The work is attributed to the artist known as Pseudo Jan Wellens de Cock and executed in oil paint on a panel support. While the specific commission details and the original commissioning patron are not recorded in the available sources, the piece has been dated definitively to the year 1520.

The painting is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, having previously been associated with the Mauritshuis.

Overview

This painting is a left wing of an altarpiece, featuring two scenes: the Circumcision on the inner wing and the Virgin of an Annunciation on the outer wing. Executed in oil paint, it is attributed to Pseudo Jan Wellens de Cock and dates to 1520. The work is part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum.

Context

Part of a larger altarpiece, this wing would have been viewed in a religious context, likely a church or chapel, where its themes of religious ritual (Circumcision) and divine announcement (Annunciation) would have resonated with the congregation.

Legacy

As part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, the painting contributes to the understanding of early 16th-century religious art in the Netherlands, offering insights into the style of Pseudo Jan Wellens de Cock and the broader artistic trends of the time.

Panel of an altarpiece with the Circumcision (inner wing) and the Resurrection (outer wing), Master of Alkmaar

Artist & collection

Artist

Pseudo Jan Wellens de Cock

Pseudo Jan Wellens de Cock is a conventional name assigned by art historians to an unidentified early Netherlandish artist active in the early sixteenth century, probably in Antwerp.