Pieter Pourbus: The Van Belle triptych (1556)

(St. James's Church, Bruges, Belgium)

A painting by the Flemish artist Pieter Pourbus (1523–1584). This altarpiece is named after its commissioner Joost van Belle and his wife Kathelijne Hylaert. In the central panel is "Our Lady of Sorrows" shown. Mary is surrounded by seven medallions that show events from her life: The Prophecy of Simeon, The Flight into Egypt, The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, Mary's meeting Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary, Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross and the Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea. The left panel shows Joost van Belle, a clerk from Bruges, his patron saint Judoc of Ponthieu and a child. This child may be the couple's only son who died prematurely. The right panel shows Kathelijne Hylaert and her patron saint Catherine of Alexandria. Painting from 1556.