Saint Ambrose with Ambrosius van Engelen

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Two men are crammed into this long, thin painting which was once the right wing of a triptych (a painting in three parts). In front is the donor. He wears the white habit of a Premonstratensian canon; the mitre (headdress) in front of him shows that he is a mitred abbot. Behind him is Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in the fourth century. ‘Moderation in all things’ is written on the back of the panel in Latin – a popular motto, and one used by at least two Premonstratensian abbots. Ambrose, however, was not a common name in the Netherlands, nor was he a widely venerated saint. There can be little doubt that the donor is Ambrosius van Engelen, Abbot of Park, just south of Leuven. The panel seems to be the work of more than one artist: the faces are different in both style and quality, and this cannot be fully explained by the donor’s face being very damaged and much restored.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Saint Ambrose with Ambrosius van Engelen

Date

probably 1520

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 72.4 x W 65 cm

Accession number

NG264

Acquisition method

Bought, 1854

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

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