Left wing of a Memorial Triptych, formerly called the Gertz Memorial Triptych, with nine male Donor Portraits with Saint John the Evangelist (inner), and Saint Peter (outer)

Hugo van der Goes's Left Wing of a Memorial Triptych represents a late work by this tortured Ghent master, painted during the period of his residence at the Roode Klooster monastery near Brussels where he suffered psychological breakdowns. The triptych wing with donor portrait and saintly intercessors follows the devotional format that Van der Goes practiced throughout his career, though his late works show an increasingly intense expressivity that set him apart from his Flemish contemporaries. The memorial function — commemorating a deceased patron — gave the work particular urgency, as the image would serve ongoing prayers for the donor's soul.

Tempera technique, reflecting earlier traditions, the portrait demonstrates Hugo van der Goes's command of naturalistic detail and dramatic scale. The careful modeling of the face reveals close study of the sitter's physiognomy, while the treatment of costume and setting projects appropriate social standing.