The Annunciation, Adoration of the Magi, The Circumcision

Adriaen Isenbrandt, the leading painter of Bruges in the 1510s through 1530s, created this triptych with Annunciation, Adoration of the Magi, and Circumcision around 1511. Working in the tradition established by Gerard David, who had transformed Bruges painting in the late fifteenth century, Isenbrandt maintained the Flemish tradition of meticulous panel painting at a moment when Antwerp was eclipsing Bruges as the commercial capital of the Low Countries. His multi-scene triptychs efficiently narrate the infancy of Christ, providing wealthy private patrons with complete devotional programs in portable format. The refined technique and warm palette characteristic of the Bruges workshop tradition is evident throughout.

The panel demonstrates the refined Netherlandish technique with careful surface finish, luminous color, and the meticulous rendering characteristic of the artist's workshop production.