Virgin and Child with Four Angels, ca. 151015
Gerard David (Netherlandish, born ca. 1455, died 1523)
Oil on wood; 24 7/8 x 15 3/8 in. (63.2 x 39.1 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1977 (1977.1.1)
Gerard David (Netherlandish, born ca. 1455, died 1523)
Oil on wood; 24 7/8 x 15 3/8 in. (63.2 x 39.1 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1977 (1977.1.1)
Accompanied by the angels' sweet music from harp and lute, the Virgin is crowned as Queen of Heaven while her son directly engages the viewer. In this poetic and refined picture, David has taken the Virgin and Child from a well-known composition by Jan van Eyck and placed them against the backdrop of contemporary Bruges. The city view includes the churches of Sint-Jakobs and Onze-Lieve-Vrouw, as well as an enclosed garden where a Carthusian monk strolls (perhaps a reference to the Carthusian monastery of Genadedal). The picture may have been commissioned by a member of the Carthusian order.

















