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The Altar of St. John

Rogier van der Weydenaround 1455

Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Berlin, Germany

The Altar of St.John', in its basic disposition, is linked with the 'Miraflores Altar'. The presentation starts on the left-hand panel with the birth and naming of St. John. The centre of the retable is taken up by the Baptism of Christ, as the most important event in terms of God's plan of salvation. The third panel shows the beheading of St. John. Statues of the twelve Apostles are seen in the niches of the painted frames. In the archivolts are scenes from the lives of Christ and St. John, which further link the main scenes with the history of salvation.

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  • Title: The Altar of St. John
  • Creator: Rogier van der Weyden
  • Date Created: around 1455
  • Physical Dimensions: w48.0 x h221.0 cm
  • Type: Painting
  • External Link: Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
  • Medium: Oil on oak wood
  • Style: Netherlandish
  • Copyright Text: Text: © http://www.prestel.com, Prestel Verlag / Rainald Grosshans // Photo: © http://www.bpk-images.de, b p k - Photo Agency / Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Volker-H. Schneider
  • Collection: Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
  • Artist information: Rogier van der Weyden was an early Netherlandish painter and a student of Robert Campin. He gained the title of master on 1 August 1432. Between 1436 and 1437 he was awarded the post of official city painter of Brussels. Van der Weyden exerted considerable influence on European painting, not only in France and Germany but as far away as Italy and Spain, due to his vigorous, subtle, expressive painting and popular religious conceptions. The detail in his work is painted in a stunningly realistic and affectionate way. His most famous paintings were four large panels representing the Justice of Trajan and Justice of Herkenbald. These panels were commissioned by the city of Brussels for the golden chamber of the Brussels town hall.
  • Artist Place of Death: Brussels, Belgium
  • Artist Place of Birth: Tournai, France
  • Artist Gender: male
  • Artist Dates: 1399/1464
Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

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