Rem-Altar: Der hl. Rochus mit dem Engel (Rückseite: Hl. Anna Selbdritt)

Quinten Metsys painted this Rem Altar panel of Saint Rochus with an Angel around 1518, with Saint Anne on the reverse. Metsys, who transformed Antwerp into the artistic capital of the Netherlands, was celebrated for combining the precision of the Bruges tradition with the warmth and emotional depth of Italian Renaissance painting. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

The double-sided panel demonstrates Metsys' sophisticated oil technique with luminous flesh tones, subtle sfumato transitions, and the meticulous descriptive detail characteristic of his mature Antwerp work.