Moreel triptych, 1484

Hans Memling
Groeningemuseum,
Musea Brugge (Belgium)
0000.GRO0091.I-0095.I

In the centre, we see Saint Christopher carrying Christ as a child on his shoulders. Following tradition, Saint Christopher is portrayed with his blossoming staff and a hermit in a cave in the background. Next to them, you see Saint Maurus (left) and Saint Giles with a deer (right). What is impressive about this triptych is the lush landscape that stretches panoramically across the three panels. The landscape thus forms the backdrop for a group portrait, which was innovative at that time. On the side panels, we see the Moreel family portrayed. On the left wing, Willem Moreel stands with his name saint William of Maleval and five of his sons. On the right wing, we see Barbara van Vlaenderbergh (alias Van Hertsvelde), her name saint Barbara – recognizable by the tower – and eleven of her daughters. The saints Maurus and Giles were chosen based on the family names Moreel and Hertsvelde. Moreover, they were the patron saints of the family chapel in Saint James’s Church, where the couple were buried. When closed, the triptych displays the Triptych of Saint John the Baptist and Saint George in grisaille.

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