St Anne Altarpiece

The St. Anne Altarpiece of 1507—or possibly 1509—in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is Metsys’s most ambitious surviving multi-panel work. Commissioned by the Brotherhood of St. Anne in Leuven, the altarpiece narrates the apocryphal life of the Virgin’s mother through multiple scenes of remarkable narrative richness. The work established Metsys as Antwerp’s preeminent painter and demonstrated his ability to manage complex altarpiece programs.

The altarpiece’s multiple panels show Metsys’s range from intimate domestic scenes to grand architectural settings. His command of perspective, figure grouping, and emotional expression is displayed across the entire narrative sequence.