Beaune Altarpiece
The Beaune Altarpiece is a large polyptych c. 1445–1450 by the Early Netherlandish artist Rogier van der Weyden. It consists of fifteen paintings on nine panels, of which six are painted on both sides. The inner panels contain scenes from the Last Judgement arranged across two registers. The large central panel spans both registers and shows Christ seated on a rainbow in judgement, while below him, the Archangel Michael holds scales to weigh souls.
About Beaune Altarpiece in brief
The Beaune Altarpiece is a large polyptych c. 1445–1450 by the Early Netherlandish artist Rogier van der Weyden. It consists of fifteen paintings on nine panels, of which six are painted on both sides. The inner panels contain scenes from the Last Judgement arranged across two registers. The large central panel spans both registers and shows Christ seated on a rainbow in judgement, while below him, the Archangel Michael holds scales to weigh souls. It is in poor condition; it was moved in the 20th century both to shield it against sunlight and protect it from the almost 300,000 visitors the hospice receives annually. It has suffered from extensive paint loss, the wearing and darkening of its colours, and an accumulation of dirt. The two painted sides of the outer panels have been separated to be displayed; traditionally, the shutters would have been opened only on selected Sundays or church holidays. It was commissioned in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor of the Duchy of Burgundy, and his wife Guigone de Salins, who is buried in front of the altarpiece’s original location. The hospice was built after Rolin gained permission from Pope Eugene IV in 1441, and was consecrated on 31 December 1452. Rolin dedicated the hospICE to Anthony the Great, who was commonly associated with sickness and healing during the Middle Ages. The altarpieces was intended to provide both comfort and warning to the dying; acting as a reminder of their faith and directing their last thoughts towards the divine.
This is evident in its positioning within the view of the patients’ beds. Medical care was expensive and primitive in the 15th century; patients were treated in primitive and primitive beds. The painting is first mentioned in a 1501 inventory, at which time it was positioned on the high altar on the hospices’ high altar. The artist, patron, date of completion and place of installation are all known, – unusual for a Netherlandish altarppiece. It’s not known why Rolin decided to build in Be aune rather than in his birthplace of Autun, but it may have been because it lacked a hospital and an outbreak of the plague had decimated the population between 1438 and 1440. In the late 1450s, only a few years before he died, Rolin added a provision to the hospital charter stipulating that the Mass for the Dead be offered twice daily. Rolin’s wife played a primary role in the foundation, as probably did his nephew Jan Rolin. De Salins lived and served at the Hospice until her own death in 1470. The hospital was founded by Rolin around 1443 when it was ready by 1451 when the chapel was consecration. The most likely aid of the panels were transported to Brussels with the most likely help of apprentices– Painted with the help of the painter’s workshop– and were then transported to the hospiced once completed.
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This page is based on the article Beaune Altarpiece published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 31, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
