Diptych of Margaret of Austria with Virgin and Child crowned by two angels

The Master of 1499 painted this diptych of Margaret of Austria with Virgin and Child in 1505. Margaret of Austria served as regent of the Netherlands and was one of the most important art patrons of her era. The diptych format placing the devotee facing the sacred image was a standard configuration for personal devotional objects among the Northern European elite. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique.

Oil on panel with refined Bruges-school technique and luminous palette. The diptych pairs Margaret's portrait with a tender Virgin and Child, both rendered with the meticulous surface finish expected of courtly commissions.