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Saints George and Nicasius with Georg and Nicasius Hackeney by Joos van Cleve

Saints George and Nicasius with Georg and Nicasius Hackeney

Joos van Cleve·1515

Historical Context

This devotional work of around 1515 pairs the saints George and Nicasius with the donors Georg and Nicasius Hackeney, their name-saints serving as celestial advocates in the tradition of Flemish votive portraiture. The Hackeneys were a prominent Cologne merchant family, and the commission reflects the close ties between Antwerp's workshop culture and wealthy Rhenish patrons. Van Cleve integrates the sacred and secular halves with seamless spatial logic, the donor panel's realistic likenesses presented with the same material care as the saints' armour and ecclesiastical vestments. The painting is now in the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne.

Technical Analysis

Van Cleve achieves convincing spatial continuity between saint and donor by aligning horizon lines and light direction across the panels. The donor portraits display the characteristic Flemish technique of building up flesh tones from a cool grey undermodelling, with warm final layers blended wet-into-wet to achieve a lifelike translucency.

See It In Person

Wallraf–Richartz Museum

Cologne, Germany

Visit museum website →

Quick Facts

Medium
Oil on panel
Dimensions
66.8 × 59 cm
Era
High Renaissance
Style
Northern Renaissance
Genre
Religious
Location
Wallraf–Richartz Museum, Cologne
View on museum website →

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Virgin and Child by Joos van Cleve

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The Holy Family by Joos van Cleve

The Holy Family

Joos van Cleve·ca. 1512–13

The Infants Jesus Christ and Saint John the Baptist Embracing by Joos van Cleve

The Infants Jesus Christ and Saint John the Baptist Embracing

Joos van Cleve·1520–25

Holy Family by Joos van Cleve

Holy Family

Joos van Cleve·c. 1525

More from the High Renaissance Period

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Lucrezia di Lippo di Iacopo Guidi

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Domenico da Gambassi by Andrea del Sarto

Domenico da Gambassi

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Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist by Antonio da Correggio

Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist

Antonio da Correggio·c. 1515