Crucifixion with Saints

This magnificent panel, which may have been the central painting of an altarpiece, depicts Christ crucified between Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint John the Evangelist, and the Virgin Mary on one side, and Saint Peter, Saint Augustine and Saint Anthony the Abbot on the other. The scene is set on delicate, leafy terrain that is dotted with flowers. The figures are approximately life-sized and stand out against the background, formed of a rich, sumptuous layer of brocaded velvet. The use of vivid colors, especially carmine red and olive green, particularly stands out. The artist alternates between the colors, both in the halos and the robes, which was a characteristic technique of his. The painting has been attributed to the Westphalian painter known as the “Master of the Painted Halos” because of the similarities between this work and his others, particularly a smaller one of a crucifixion kept at the Abteiberg Museum.