Werl Triptych
Robert Campin·1438
Historical Context
The Werl Triptych, dated 1438 and attributed to Robert Campin (though sometimes given to his workshop), was commissioned by the Cologne theologian Heinrich von Werl. Now in the Museo del Prado, the surviving wings show Saint Barbara reading before a fireplace and Saint John the Baptist with the donor. The domestic interior of the Saint Barbara panel, with its detailed furnishings and view through a window, established a type that profoundly influenced Netherlandish painting.
Technical Analysis
The panels demonstrate Campin's characteristic interest in domestic interiors with carefully observed everyday objects, strong volumetric modeling, and the innovative use of convex mirror reflections that Van Eyck would also employ.
