The National Gallery unveils a mysterious 1500s altarpiece, a $20M masterpiece by an unknown artist. Featuring a dragon & intriguing details, it’s a puzzle for art historians.
The National Gallery is celebrating its bicentennial with a spectacular acquisition: a captivating altarpiece featuring the Virgin and Child, two saints, and a host of intriguing details. Purchased for over $20 million (£16 million at the time of purchase) from a private sale through Sotheby’s, funded by the American Friends of the National Gallery London, this previously unseen masterpiece presents a significant challenge and delight to art historians.
The altarpiece, titled *The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret and Two Angels, dates from 1500-1510. Its origins are shrouded in mystery. While the subject matter is relatively common in religious art of the period, the iconography is unique, hinting at a playful and inventive artist. The artist’s identity remains unknown, with debate centering on whether they were from the Netherlands or France.
The artwork’s provenance is partially documented. It was once part of the collection of the Blundell family, having possibly been acquired by Henry Blundell (1724-1810) from the abbey of Tronchiennes in Ghent, Belgium, where it was recorded in 1602. More recently, it resided on the Lulworth Estate in Dorset, in the possession of the Weld family, descendants of the Blundells. The altarpiece was last publicly exhibited in 1960, and *The Art Newspaper* now presents the first color reproduction.
Gabriele Finaldi, the director of the National gallery, revealed that the gallery had been interested in acquiring the altarpiece “for decades.” A recent private viewing for a dozen specialists has not yielded a consensus on the artist’s identity. No other works definitively attributed to this artist are currently known.
Several names have been suggested, including Jan Gossaert, Aert Ortkens, Jean Hey, the Master of Saint Giles, and followers of Hugo van der Goes or Juan de Flandes. The composition bears similarities to Jan van Eyck’s Virgin and Child with Canon Joris van der Paele , suggesting potential influence. Art historian Denys Sutton aptly described the altarpiece in the 1950s as “one of those delectable items that defies the ingenuity of scholars,” a sentiment that remains true today.
Emma Capron, the National Gallery curator overseeing the acquisition, leans towards a Netherlandish origin, citing the use of Baltic oak panel common in the Low Countries as opposed to the oak typically used by French artists. However, the depiction of Saint Louis, complete with the French fleur-de-lis, suggests a possible French connection.
The altarpiece’s composition is rich with symbolic detail. The central figures, the Virgin and Child, are surrounded by a cast of characters and unusual elements. Jesus holds a goldfinch, a symbol of his martyrdom, in what seems to be a rather cruel grip. Saint Louis’s facial features closely resemble those of an unidentified donor, even including a scar on his cheek. Saint Margaret, the patron saint of expectant mothers, is depicted with an unusual dove on her shoulder, alluding to a lesser-known legend of her miraculous crowning.
Dominating the lower portion of the altarpiece is a remarkably expressive dragon, unlike any other seen in Northern European art, from which Saint Margaret emerges unharmed. Flanking the Virgin are two angels; one plays a Jew’s harp, a rare instrument in late medieval iconography, while the other holds a sheet of music, the notations of which are now understood to be meaningless, contrary to earlier assumptions.
Another curious detail is the presence of nail studs on the painted wooden steps, likely a symbolic allusion to the Crucifixion. Less noticeable are the intricately carved capitals atop the pilasters, which depict Old Testament scenes, including bawdy and less commonly depicted subjects. A playful depiction of a putto farting is included, a rarity in paintings of this period, though occasionally found in medieval manuscript marginalia.
The altarpiece, standing 1.2 meters high, has undergone extensive conservation. Dendrochronological analysis dates the oak panel to 1483, supporting the stylistic dating of the painting to around 1500-1510. The panel has been stabilized, and areas of paint loss have been carefully addressed using reversible techniques. Larry Keith, the National Gallery’s head of conservation, describes the altarpiece’s condition as “extremely good, considering its age and size.”
Finaldi acknowledges the rarity of such a high-quality unattributed painting, speculating that it might be the early work of a highly talented artist, or possibly by someone who died young. The National Gallery hopes that the altarpiece’s public accessibility will encourage further research and lead to a definitive attribution. Failing that, it might be cataloged as the work of the “Master of the National Gallery Virgin and Child.” The altarpiece will be on display in Room 53 starting May 10th.