Quinten Massys
Around 1500–1509
Oil paint on wood
33.9 x 61.7 cm
Little is known about Quinten Massys, the leading painter of his generation in Antwerp. He may have travelled to Italy: the playful motif of the marble angels draws on Italian art. However, his refined rendering of texture, such as Mary’s silken hair, is distinctly northern European, as is the Gothic church. Its formal setting contrasts with the tenderness of mother and child, creating a moving image for private worship.