Follow the tour guide! Northern paintings

This triptych (a work in three parts) consists of two side panels in oak attached to the central panel with hinges so they can be closed. The Coronation of the Virgin is depicted in the central panel flanked with Saint Barbara (on the right) and Saint Catherine (on the left).

Painted in a mannerist style, the characters are dressed in lavish costumes and wear ornate jewelry. The decorative effect is highly developed, with a strong taste for details and an illusionist rendering of materials and textures.

Previously attributed to the Master of the Holy Blood, this work finally received a new attribution: the signature on the sword, Creeft fecit, confirmed the thesis of two 16th-century Flemish painting experts, whose research has finally clarified the identity of the author.

In Delft, Leonaert Bramer was the most famous artist of his generation. He regularly traveled to Italy, particularly Rome, where he lived for fourteen years. There, he discovered the Caravaggisti. Back in Delft in 1628, he achieved immediate success and received numerous commissions.

Because his art did not reflect the (very realistic) image that people had of Dutch painting, he fell into oblivion in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, he's recognized as one of the most original Dutch painters of his generation.

A miniature of this painting is reproduced in another work of the collection, exhibited nearby: the Galant Scene (Scène galante) by Jacob Duck. In this specific context, it appears as a severe warning against the alleged perfidy of women.

Duck, a painter from Utrecht, specialized in genre painting: courtesans, soldiers, card players, but also women from high society formed the core of his repertoire.

Several artists are part of the Fabritius family. Carel is the most famous of them all. He is the author of the famous Goldfinch, kept in the Mauritshuis in The Hague. He was one of Rembrandt's students. Carel was certainly responsible for the Rembrandt-esque style of his brother Barent, the creator of this painting.

The picture faithfully depicts the biblical story. Tobias' father entrusts him with the task of collecting money. He meets Angel Raphael on his way, unaware of his divine identity. Raphaël decides to follow him. A little dog accompanies them.

On the journey, Tobias catches a fish and keeps its heart and liver to ward off evil spirits, as well as the bile with which he will cure his father's blindness. Here, the painting shows the moment when the angel teaches Tobias how to use the bile.