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Notes
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This devotional work is one of the finest masterpieces of Northern European painting. It is also an early example of oil painting. In contrast with the traditional egg-based paint (called ‘tempera’), oil paint enabled artists to depict translucent effects and precise modelling, making figures and objects more lifelike and immediate. The triptych depicts Christ’s burial, moments after he is taken down from the cross. His body is lowered into a stone tomb while four angels carry instruments associated with his suffering. The right wing depicts Christ’s triumphant Resurrection two days later. The triptych was probably commissioned by the anonymous kneeling man depicted on the left wing. The gold background is adorned with raised motifs representing an intricate vine, as wine was a symbol of the blood shed by Christ.
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
London
Title
The Seilern Triptych – The Entombment
Date
c.1425
Medium
unidentified paint surface on panel
Measurements
H 65.2 x W 53.6 cm;
H 64.9 x W 26.8 cm
Accession number
P.1978.PG.253
Acquisition method
Princes Gate bequest, 1978
Work type
Painting
