Hans Memling

de John Marcia, Till-Holger Borchert

Hans Memling was one of the most important, prolific and versatile painters active in 15th-century Bruges, and one of the leading artists of the Early Netherlandish School. Commissioned by Abbot Jan Crabbe, one of Memling's most signifcant and erudite patrons, the triptych of the Crucifixion - in particular its wings, with their complex and meticulously conceived background landscapes and the convincing realism of the portraits - ostentatiously demonstrate Memling's skills and ambitions. Completed around 1470, the triptych was dismembered in the 18th century. Two panels from the altarpiece are among the finest paintings owned by the Morgan Library & Museum, where they are on permanent view in Pierpont Morgan's Study. "Hans Memling. Portraiture, piety, and a reunited altarpiece" accompanies the first museum exhibition to explore the reconstructed masterpiece in context. Underscoring this great artist's impact, the book also examines Early Netherlandish drawings from the Morgan's collection, works ranging from the early compositional studies and figure drawings to a group of portrait drawings made in the generation after Memling and under his influence. Exhibition: Morgan Library and Museum, New York, USA (2.9.2016-8.1.2017).