| Type | Memorial item (physical object) |
|---|---|
| Classification | Wing(s) of a former diptych/triptych/polyptych |
| Short description | Wings with John the Baptist, John the Evangelist on Patmos (twice), the Vision of Emperor Augustus and the overpainted devotional portrait of a man |
| Remarks about category | In its original state it was a polyptych with two pairs of double wings (see reconstruction images). It was an extended sculptural and painted ensemble that took over fifty years to complete. Today only a few parts of this object survive. |
|
| 1475-1550 |
|
| Original institution | Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap (Zwanenbroederschap), St. Jan (Our Lady's Confraternity (Swan Confraternity), St John's Cathedral), 's-Hertogenbosch 733 |
|---|---|
| Arguments |
|
| Specification | The altarpiece of the Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap (Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady) is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity, as well as in a Latin chronicle from around 1550, and in J.B. Gramayes, Taxandria (1604). See literature: Ilsink (2016). |
| Still in original institution? | no |
|---|
| In situ? | |
|---|---|
| (Probable) original location |
|
| Argumentation | According to a Latin Chronicle from 1550, it was located on the altar of the confraternity's chapel in the Janskathedraal in 's-Hertogenbosch |
| Related memorial objects in the same institution |
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| Additional remarks (original location) |
| Function |
|
|---|---|
| Specification | The remaining parts belonged to an altarpiece. It was possibly also intended to serve as a memorial piece, but the portrayed person was already overpainted during the production process, see Portraits. |
| Additional remarks | According to Ilsink (2016, note 6) altarpieces with two pairs of double doors were as prestigious as they were exceptional. There are only a few known Flemish and Brabant examples. The polyptych of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady was therefore undoubtedly a statement of status. |
| Function | |
|---|---|
| Grave findings | |
| Additional remarks |
| Original function | |
|---|---|
| Change in function | |
| Remarks about function |
| Name | Jan van Vladeracken? |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Commemorated person(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Commemorated institution(s) |
|
| Type | not applicable (only one person mentioned/depicted) |
|---|---|
| Relation specification | |
| Additional remarks |
| Name | Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady in 's-Hertogenbosch |
|---|---|
| Composition of the commissioning party |
|
| Specification |
| Commissioning person(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Commissioning Institution(s) |
|
| Type | The commissioning party consisted of one or more members of the commemorated party |
|---|---|
| Relation specification | |
| Additional remarks | Jan van Vladeracken paid for the large set of lower wings of the altarpiece of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady in 1488/1489. Other members of the confraternity also paid for the commission, which was completed in phases. |
| Material(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Specification | Oil on oak wood (painted panels), oak wood with traces of polychromy (wood carvings) |
| Traces of polychromy? | Traces of polychromy and gilding present on the wood carvings by Adriaen van Wesel |
| Reuse of older objects | On top of the polyptych there was an older, now lost statue of the Virgin (14th or 15th century), that was always carried during an annual procession |
| Completeness | The polyptych consisted of the following parts (listed by date): a statue of the Madonna (probably 14th century, if not the 15th century) placed at the top of the altarpiece (lost); central case sculpted by Adriaen van Wesel in 1476-77 (several fragments survive); two large lower wings sculpted by Adriaen van Wesel in 1476-77 (lost); two upper small wings sculpted by Adriaen van Wesel in ca. 1475/77 (surviving); two unknown scenes painted on the backs of Adriean van Wesel's small sculpted wings (lost); two large exterior wings painted by Jheronimus Bosch in 1488/89? (lost); two exterior small wings painted by Jheronimus Bosch in 1490-95 (surviving, but one was cropped and lost its reverse side); two panels (attached to the backs of Adriean van Wesel's large sculpted wings?) by Gielis Panhedel (also known as 'Gillis van den Bossche', and brother-in-law to Merten Mertens de Greve, master of the confraternity) in ca. 1521-22 (lost, but copies remain); a tabernacle for the statue of the Madonna at the top of the altarpiece, made in 1547/48 (lost). |
| Condition | Exterior small left wing: all four sides of this panel were cropped. The original reverse side has not been preserved, because the panel was thinned and cradled. Exterior small right wing: both sides almost completely preserved, not cropped. |
| Conservation | |
| Technical research |
|
| Specification (technical research) | Full technical report of the panels by Jheronimus Bosch in Hoogstede (2016) |
| Height x width x depth |
|---|
| Alterations |
|
|---|---|
| Specification | A portrait on the panel showing John the Baptist was painted over very early during the production process of the polyptych |
| For the possible copies of the large panels by Gielis Panhedel, see: https://rkd.nl/nl/explore/images/50038 and https://rkd.nl/nl/explore/images/50039 |
| • Originally intended for the chapel of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady in the Janskathedraal in 's-Hertogenbosch, the large altarpiece was removed from the chapel for safekeeping in 1566 during an outbreak of iconoclastic violence. Its various parts were cleaned and stored at the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady's house, before it was placed back in the chapel. In 1629 it was removed from the cathedral permanently, when the building came under Protestant control. What happened next is unknown, but over the course of the nineteenth century parts of the altarpiece ended up in various parts of Brabant and in British collections. The altarpiece cases with the carved Saint John on Patmos and the Vision of Emperor Augustus are the only elements still owned by the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady. • This is the provenance of the other still surviving parts: Exterior small left wing with John the Baptist: 1920-1947 Don José Lázaro Galdiano; since 1948 Madrid, Museo Lázaro Galdiano; 1936-49 loaned to Museum Boymans, Rotterdam. Exterior small right wing with John the Evangelist on Patmos and Passion Scenes: Stansted Hall, William Fuller Maitland; 1907 Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. For the provenance of the sculptural fragments presently in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, see the link to the Rijksmuseum online collection listed in the 'part' descriptions. |
| Type(s) of mark(s) of ownership |
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|---|---|
| Specification |
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| • According to a Latin chronicle from 1550 the altarpiece showed two images. On working days the painted image was visible, while on feast days the "golden story is shown". By that, the chronicle probably refers to the sculpted interior of the altarpiece, which was gilded. When the altarpiece was opened, the sculpted figures of Augustus and John the Evangelist would both be looking at the statue of the Madonna on top of the altarpiece. The Madonna with the Christ Child was carried during annual processions, and was central to the confraternity's worship. It was always visible, regardless of whether the altarpiece was opened or closed. This statue was also depicted on the confraternity's fourteenth-century seal. • See also: http://boschproject.org |
| Short description | Interior of the exterior small left wing showing St John the Baptist with the overpainted devotional portrait of a man |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 49 x 41 x 0 |
|---|
| Year | 1490-1495 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | Dendrochronological research gives an earliest possible date for this panel of 1476. Because this panel was cropped, some growth rings are missing from the wood, which has consequences for the dendrochronological dating of this panel. However the similarities in both the panels by Bosch are such, that they were probably made at the same time. The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1490-1495. Also of note: Jheronimus Bosch joined the confraternity in 1487-88 as a sworn brother. |
| Additional remarks |
| Name | Bosch, Jheronimus |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This painter is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. Both panels also match Bosch's style, and the panel currently in Berlin bears his signature. |
| Role | designer and craftsman |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| All the costs incurred for the altarpiece were meticulously recorded in the confraternity's accounts. Despite this, no reference is made anywhere of Jheronimus Bosch's activities, or of the construction of the upper part of the altarpiece. It leads Ilsink (2016) to conclude that it was either paid for by individual members of the confraternity, or that Bosch did not charge anything for his work. |
| All four sides of this panel were cropped. The original reverse side has not been preserved, because the panel was thinned and cradled. |
| Short description | Interior of the exterior small right wing showing St John the Evangelist on Patmos |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 63 x 43 x 0 |
|---|
| Year | 1490-1495 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | Dendrochronological research gives an earliest possible date for this panel of 1491. The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1490-1495. Also of note: Jheronimus Bosch joined the confraternity in 1487-88 as a sworn brother. |
| Additional remarks |
| Name | Bosch, Jheronimus |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This painter is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. Both panels also match Bosch's style, and the panel currently in Berlin bears his signature. |
| Role | designer and craftsman |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| This also appears to be the earliest work signed by this artist. All the costs incurred for the altarpiece were meticulously recorded in the confraternity's accounts. Despite this, no reference is made anywhere of Jheronimus Bosch's activities, or of the construction of the upper part of the altarpiece. It leads Ilsink (2016) to conclude that it was either paid for by individual members of the confraternity, or that Bosch did not charge anything for his work. |
| The figure in the top left is the 'Virgin in the Sun'. The Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady commissioned several works of John on Patmos in combination with this particular visual image. It was an ideal devotional combination of the patron saint of the cathedral and the city (John the Evangelist), and the Virgin Mary, its own patron saint. See literature: Ilsink (2016). |
| Short description | Fragment of the polyptych showing the Meeting of the Magi |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 77 x 91 x 20 |
|---|
| Year | ca.1475-1477 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1475-1477. |
| Additional remarks |
| Holding institution | Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
| Collection identifier | BK-1977-134-A |
| Online description link | |
| Alternative or previous collections | |
| Alternative of previous identifiers | |
| Accessibility | |
| Remarks about holding institution |
| Name | Wesel, Adriaen van |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This sculptor is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. The object also matches Van Wesel's style. |
| Role | not specified |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Short description | Upper small right wing, interior, showing St John the Evangelist on Patmos |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 87 x 0 x 0 |
|---|
| Year | ca.1475-1477 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1475-1477. The polychromy and gilding was added in ca. 1510. |
| Additional remarks |
| Name | Wesel, Adriaen van |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This sculptor is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. Both wings also match Van Wesel's style. |
| Role | not specified |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| In its opened state the angel would have been pointing at the statue of the Madonna, standing on top of the altarpiece |
| Short description | Fragment of the polyptych showing the Dormition |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 77 x 59 x 24 |
|---|
| Year | ca.1475-1477 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1475-1477. |
| Additional remarks |
| Holding institution | Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
| Collection identifier | BK-NM-11859 |
| Online description link | |
| Alternative or previous collections | |
| Alternative of previous identifiers | |
| Accessibility | |
| Remarks about holding institution |
| Name | Wesel, Adriaen van |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This sculptor is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. The object also matches Van Wesel's style. |
| Role | not specified |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Short description | Fragment of the polyptych showing the Visitation |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 52 x 68 x 17 |
|---|
| Year | ca.1475-1477 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1475-1477. |
| Additional remarks |
| Holding institution | Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
| Collection identifier | BK-NM-11394 |
| Online description link | |
| Alternative or previous collections | |
| Alternative of previous identifiers | |
| Accessibility | |
| Remarks about holding institution |
| Name | Wesel, Adriaen van |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This sculptor is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. The object also matches Van Wesel's style. |
| Role | not specified |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Short description | Upper small left wing, interior, showing the Vision of Emperor Augustus |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 87 x 0 x 0 |
|---|
| Year | ca.1475-1477 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1475-1477. The polychromy and gilding was added in ca. 1510. |
| Additional remarks |
| Name | Wesel, Adriaen van |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This sculptor is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. Both wings also match Van Wesel's style. |
| Role | not specified |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Emperor Augustus is accompanied by the Sibyl of Tibur. In its opened state both figures would have been looking at the statue of the Madonna, standing on top of the altarpiece |
| Short description | Exterior of the exterior small right wing showing Passion Scenes |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 63 x 43 x 0 |
|---|
| Year | 1490-1495 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | Dendrochronological research gives an earliest possible date for this panel of 1491. The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1490-1495. Also of note: Jheronimus Bosch joined the confraternity in 1487-88 as a sworn brother. |
| Additional remarks |
| Name | Bosch, Jheronimus |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This painter is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. Both panels also match Bosch's style, and the panel currently in Berlin bears his signature. |
| Role | designer and craftsman |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| This also appears to be the earliest work signed by this artist. All the costs incurred for the altarpiece were meticulously recorded in the confraternity's accounts. Despite this, no reference is made anywhere of Jheronimus Bosch's activities, or of the construction of the upper part of the altarpiece. It leads Ilsink (2016) to conclude that it was either paid for by individual members of the confraternity, or that Bosch did not charge anything for his work. |
| In semi-grisaille this panel shows a pelican in the centre, pecking at its own breast to feed its blood to its young. Arranged in a circle around this scene, are the following eight Passion Scenes: the Agony in the Garden, the Kiss of Judas, Christ before Pilate, the Flagellation, the Crowning with Thorns, Christ Carrying the Cross, the Crucifixion, and the Entombment. Surrounding all of this is a great darkness filled with barely visible monstrous figures. |
| Short description | Fragment of the polyptych showing part of a Nativity scene with Joseph and three angels |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 45 x 38 x 24 |
|---|
| Year | ca.1475-1477 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1475-1477. |
| Additional remarks |
| Holding institution | Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
| Collection identifier | BK-NM-11647 |
| Online description link | |
| Alternative or previous collections | |
| Alternative of previous identifiers | |
| Accessibility | |
| Remarks about holding institution |
| Name | Wesel, Adriaen van |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This sculptor is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. The object also matches Van Wesel's style. |
| Role | not specified |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Short description | Fragment of the polyptych showing part of a Nativity scene with the Virgin |
|---|
| Height x Width x Depth | 38 x 16 x 11 |
|---|
| Year | ca.1475-1477 |
|---|---|
| Specified date | |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The accounts of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady follow the production of the altarpiece very closely, and this gives us the date 1475-1477. |
| Additional remarks |
| Holding institution | Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
| Collection identifier | BK-NM-11713 |
| Online description link | |
| Alternative or previous collections | |
| Alternative of previous identifiers | |
| Accessibility | |
| Remarks about holding institution |
| Name | Wesel, Adriaen van |
|---|---|
| Attribution |
|
| Specification | This sculptor is mentioned in the accounts of the confraternity that commissioned the work. The object also matches Van Wesel's style. |
| Role | not specified |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Interior outer left wing of polyptych |
| in the centre of the panel |
| Name | Jan van Vladeracken? |
|---|---|
| Sex | male |
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | The identification is not certain, but Jan van Vladeracken was the dean of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady in the year 1487/1488, the same year in which Jheronimus Bosch became a sworn brother. He was also one of the hosts of the Swan Banquet of that year. |
| Physical state of the portrayed person | alive |
|---|---|
| Argumentation |
|
| Specification | |
| Posture | kneeling |
| Manner of portrayal | folded hands |
Clothing
Attributes
Insignia
|
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| Additional remarks | The portrait was overpainted shortly after it was added to the panel, during the production process of the polyptych itself, for reasons unknown. This was done in Bosch's own workshop, possibly by Jheronimus Bosch himself. Perhaps because the polyptych was meant to commemorate the entire confraternity and was being realised through the collective efforts of a large number of brothers, it was considered inappropriate to include it. | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Jan van Vladeracken? |
|---|---|
| Sex | male |
| Year/date of birth | ca.1450 |
| Year/date of death | 1532 |
| Additional remarks | Jan van Vladeracken became a sworn member of the Illustrious Confraternity of Our Lady in 1475. He was the dean of the confraternity in 1487/1488 and 1503/1504 and paid for the large set of lower wings of the altarpiece of the confraternity in 1488/1489. |
| Status | patriciate |
|---|---|
| Arguments |
|
| Specification | a local dignitary and an alderman in 's-Hertogenbosch |
| Religious order | |
|---|---|
| Specification |
| Type of secular clergy | |
|---|---|
| Specification |