THe Life Of Christ Depicted By Memling And An Unknown Follower

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The Life of Christ Depicted by Hans Memling
And
An Unknown follower










Follower of Hans Memling ca. 1515

While researching art there is a very high likelihood of finding multiple paintings of the same or an exceptionally similar picture. Some similar pictures have changes while others remain totally the same, and the same is true for the artist. The duplication of paintings can be attributed to a high demand for the painting from the buyers, mainly churches. During the 15th century and into the 16th century, religion played a pivotal role in the daily aspects of all people living in Europe. Although religion was the dominant force in peoples’ lives, most people were illiterate and were thus unable to unlock the secrets of the Bible for themselves. To counter this problem, the church commissioned artists to adorn their churches with religious artwork. The commissioned artwork was to either depict various religious scenes or contain some moral that the church conveyed.
While doing my research, I found two interesting triptychs depicting events in the life of Christ. In the last quarter of the 15th century Hans Memling, a Flemish painter, produced a triptych, the Lost Triptych, depicting the Passion of Christ. Hemling highlighted three well known scenes from the Bible: the carrying of the cross, crucifixion, and the resurrection of Christ. This triptych was lost for many years, only later to be found, it currently stands in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. The painting still remains without a name or an exact date of its production. Around 1515, a follower of Memling, name not provided, produced a duplicate of Hans Memling’s Lost Triptych. In the triptych, the artist illustrates the birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. This triptych currently is on display at the Frans Hals Museuem in Haarlem. Though the triptychs depict the same story, each contains different features absent in...