The Mérode Altarpiece

The Mérode Altarpiece is a masterful oil on oak panel triptych attributed to Early Northern renaissance painter Robert Campin and his assistant. It depicts three scenes: the donors kneeling in prayer in a garden, the Annunciation to Mary set in a domestic, contemporary setting, and Saint Joseph with his carpentry tools. Rich in religious symbolism, including the lily, fountain, and the Holy Spirit represented by rays of light, this religious painting exemplifies early Netherlandish devotion and artistic innovation.