The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret, about 1510 © The National Gallery, London
The mysterious masterpiece will be displayed during the Gallery’s bicentenary celebrations from 10 May.
The National Gallery has acquired a mysterious early 16th-century Northern Renaissance altarpiece that has not been exhibited since 1960.
The painting, ‘The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret’, was acquired from a private collection by private treaty sale brokered by Sotheby’s, at a special price of £16.4m. The purchase was made possible via the support of the American Friends of the National Gallery.
Dating from about 1510, the altarpiece is of outstanding importance even though its authorship is unknown – even whether the painter was Netherlandish or French is up for debate.
Dating from approximately 1510, the artwork features the Virgin and Child at its centre, accompanied by two saints, two angels playing music, and notable details including a “magnificent slobbering dragon” and what the Gallery describes as “a bawdy scene with a naughty child” on one of the column capitals.
Despite its artistic significance, the altarpiece’s creator remains unknown, with debate continuing about the painter’s origin.
Emma Capron, Curator of Early Netherlandish and German Paintings at the National Gallery, called the painting a “rare and exciting addition to the National Gallery’s superb collection of Early Netherlandish paintings. This altarpiece is the work of a talented and highly original artist but unknown, and I hope that ongoing research and the painting’s public display will help solve this conundrum in the future.”
The altarpiece is believed to have originated from the urban priory of Drongen (Tronchiennes) in Ghent, Belgium, where it was first documented in 1602.
The altarpiece will go on display from 10 May as part of “C C Land: The Wonder of Art”, the Gallery’s comprehensive rehang of its collection displays and the opening of the newly transformed Sainsbury Wing, coinciding with the institution’s 200th anniversary celebrations during 2024-25.
This acquisition follows other recent Bicentenary purchases including Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s “After the Audience”, Poussin’s “Eucharist”, and Eva Gonzalès’ “The Full-length Mirror”.
