The Good Thief (Saint Dismas)

Unknown artist, 1450-1460

Download1694 × 3000 px View on a wall Edit

Medium: Oil on panel
Size: 42 × 24 cm
Museum: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
Rights: Public Domain Mark

The back of the panel has been furnished with a sheet of patterned green paper. This reveals something of the panel’s original function. Together with the motif on the front, this tells us that the painting was the left panel of a small triptych, with Christ on the cross in the centre, and the two crucified thieves on adjoining panels. The owner of the portable altar could close the side panels when travelling or to protect it at home.

The back also reveals that the panel is made of poplar. This an important clue, because since northern Europeans usually painted on oak, it points to a Spanish rather than Netherlandish master. We can therefore probably conclude that the work was done by a Spanish painter with a thorough knowledge of Early Netherlandish painting styles and landscapes.