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Portinari Altarpiece
Hugo van der Goes · Renaissance & Mannerism
- Artist
- Hugo van der Goes (c. 1440–1482)
- Date
- c. 1475–1476
- Dimensions
- 253 x 586 cm (open)
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Location
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
The Portinari Altarpiece is a huge triptych of the Nativity commissioned in Bruges by Tommaso Portinari, the Medici bank's agent there, for a church in Florence. Its arrival in Florence in 1483 astonished Italian painters.
A closer look
In the centre, the Virgin kneels in adoration before the newborn Christ, who lies on the bare ground, surrounded by angels in rich vestments and Joseph. On the right, three rough, unshaven shepherds burst in, their faces full of wonder, painted with a realism unprecedented in Italy. In the foreground stand a vase of lilies, irises and columbines, and a glass of flowers, each a symbol of the Passion. The side panels show the Portinari family with their patron saints, set against wintry Flemish landscapes.