Triptych with Scenes from the Life of the Virgin

Dirk Bouts, Triptych of the Virgin's Life, circa 1445, oil on panel, 80 × 217 cm (31 × 85 in), Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Triptych of the Virgin's Life is an oil on panel painting by the Early Netherlandish painter Dieric Bouts. It was executed circa 1445 and is in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

Description

The triptych comprises four scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary emphasising her role in the Redemption. These are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Adoration of the Angels, and the Adoration of the Magi. The sculpted portals derive from Rogier van der Weyden's Miraflores Altarpiece. There are strong affinities with Petrus Christus' Washington Nativity, so much so that the painting was once attributed to Christus. Erwin Panofsky believed the strong connection is evidence that the young Dieric Bouts attached himself to Petrus Christus early in his career.

Gallery

• 
  Rogier van der Weyden, Miraflores Altarpiece, oil on panel, 38.7 × 30.3 cm, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
• 
  Petrus Christus, Nativity, oil on panel, 127.6 x 94.9cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Bibliography

• Panofsky, Erwin. Early Netherlandish Painting. London: Harper Collins, 1971. ISBN 0-06-430002-1