Rogier van der Weyden, The Seven Sacraments

VISITFLANDERS has joined forces with Smarthistory and the Center for Netherlandish Art at the MFA Boston to bring you a series of video conversations with curators on important Flemish paintings by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling, Peter Paul Rubens, and James Ensor.

Rogier van der Weyden, The Seven Sacraments, 1440–45, oil on oak panel, 200 x 223 cm (Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp)

speakers: Dr. Samuel Mareel, Senior Curator of 15th- and 16th-Century Art, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp and Dr. Steven Zucker

[florianartus]

You didn't mention that, unlikely to most of the altarpieces, there is a strong relationship between the frame and the painted panels :
- The traditional 3 panels composition is advantaged there such as the whole brings the viewer in a real cross-section of a church, very clever !
- The columns of the painted church are mimicing the colums of the frame, such as the church is protruding on the frame (see their feet in the lower part) : subtle, but enough to break the surface of the painting and to blurr the limit between the depicted space and the viewer. The Baroque will develop that, later !

[regeleionescu]

Thank you for the great video, very informative, thank you!

[aadarshchunkath]

Greetings from India! I truly enjoy the rich layers of information you provide and the conversational style that makes me feel I'm in the room with you, savoring the artwork!😊

[ginacrusco]

I love the fact that Dr. Mareel draws our attention to the many figures depicted reading, highlighting the importance of texts and literacy. I also loved hearing him pronounce the artist's name!

[Sasha]

I'm spoiled this week! So much hot and fresh Smarthistory, lol. 😍
The textures in this painting get to me the most: the overall gritty appearance of it, this wispy hair on the dog, etc. It's surprisingly tactile to look at. I was glad to hear that discussed around the video's middle. I wanted to touch the van Eyck robe so badly.
And yes, the emotion of these people's expressions is wonderful. The work of van der Weyden's assistants was not in vain. I'm sure this was done by other artists, but this is the first I'm hearing of their foil-painting approach.
Just wonderful. ❤ I'd love to stand before this and savor it indeed.

[rzLLAMAS]

I love when you cover artwork from 15/16th centuries.

[WilliamJohnson-jskp]

The "wafer" is correctly referred to as the Host. Wafer is a Protestant usage.

[cathydarves]

One of the best videos I have seen on this work of art. Thank you very much

[yanelkysbernard]

And of course we will continue to be spoiled with the conversations with the people from the MFA. I expect nothing less.
I have to say that while I love the MFA I occasionally share the love with the folks at the ISGM 🥰 such elegantly assembled collection.
Question: When will someone do a “Fabrics if the Fifteenth Century”
Where we the upcoming generation of Art History majors can enjoy exquisite paintings featuring the period fabrics? It will be great to see this in one place since us Students usually have a low budget for traveling 🤓
I’ll keep buying my books to learn while I wait 🤩😇

[virginiaensinck]

Thank you so much for this video about this magnificent painting by Rogier van der Weyden. I didn't know it and its awesome. The figures of the Virgin Mary and St John are very similar to the corresponding ones in The Descent of the Cross, also by van der Wieden, which is in the Prado Museum in Madrid

[bluewren]

What an incredible painting. The perspective is amazing and the attention to detail awe inspiring.

[anthonynatoli]

There are actually seven angels, one for each sacrament. The angel corresponding to the Eucharist/communion is in green in the center panel with a yellow scroll.