The Portinari Triptych by Hugo van der Goes

Fabulous online presentation from the Uffizi Gallery looking at the Portinari Triptych.

This is one of a series of tours they call Hypervisions consisting of excellent high-res photographs of details of the works which can be enlarged and explored, alongside interesting text in this case looking at the history of the picture and the symbolism of the jewellery and clothing. Others in the series include Wright of Derby’s “An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump”, currently on loan from the National Gallery and the life of St Francis as seen through pictures in the Uffizi Gallery. I have a lot more exploring to do!

I am fond of this picture and remember being captivated at seeming such an amazing piece of Flemish hyperrealism amongst the great Italian Renaissance works. I love the detailed portraits of the donor figures and the luscious details in the clothing and jewellery. It was therefore even more interesting to be taken through the symbolism of these items.

I learned lots of new things about the piece including that the portrait head of Tommaso Portinari was painted separately and stuck onto the picture and that the necklace his wife wears is a real one which is also in a portrait of her by Memling and there is a record of it having to be sold when Tommaso got into financial difficulties.

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