The Man of Sorrows Blessing

This 1470 Man of Sorrows Blessing combines the devotional image of the suffering Christ with the gesture of benediction, creating a uniquely consolatory devotional image. The format suggests its use as a personal meditation aid, inviting the worshipper to receive Christ's blessing while contemplating his sacrifice. Hans Memling was the most sought-after portraitist in northern Europe in the final decades of the fifteenth century. His portrait manner combines the Flemish tradition of three-quarter bust portraiture, with plain or landscape background, with a personal quality of warmth and psychological approachability that distinguished him from the cooler precision of Jan van Eyck. His Bruges clientele — including merchants from Italy, Spain, and England as well as the local Flemish bourgeoisie — found in his portraits an image of their social aspirations combined with the dignity and specific human presence that made his likenesses memorable.

Memling's oil technique achieves a remarkable luminosity in the flesh and the delicate rendering of wounds, maintaining the tranquil beauty that characterized his approach to even the most painful subjects.