Our Lady of the Dry Tree

"Our Lady of the Dry Tree" is a small panel oil-on-oak painting attributed to the Northern renaissance artist Petrus Christus, dating from around 1462–1465. This religious painting depicts the Virgin Mary gently holding the Christ Child within a stylized tree, whose blackened, withered branches form a crown of thorns, evoking themes of suffering and redemption. The work's symbolism and style were linked to Christus in 1919 by art historian Grete Ring, establishing its attribution. With its dramatic imagery and masterful oil technique, the painting exemplifies the symbolic depth and refined craftsmanship characteristic of early Northern renaissance art.