Anna van Bergen (1492–1541) and Her Son Hendrik (born 1519) as the Virgin and Child

Anna van Bergen (1492–1541) and Her Son Hendrik (born 1519) as the Virgin and Child by Jan Gossart (called Mabuse). Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917

Created in 1527 during the Renaissance period, this work belongs firmly within the religion & mythology tradition. Jan Gossart worked at a moment when the rivalry between Catholic Baroque drama and Protestant restraint reshaped what a painting could mean. Every gesture, fabric, and gleam of light was decoded by contemporary viewers like a private language.

Executed in Oil on wood, measuring Overall 17 7/8 x 13 5/8 in. (45.4 x 34.6 cm); painted surface 17 1/4 x 13 in. (43.8 x 33 cm), the surface rewards close looking. Jan Gossart builds the composition through layered glazes and a tightly controlled palette, letting cool shadows recede so that the warm, lit passages step forward. The brushwork shifts from the precise to the almost dissolved — a hallmark of mature Baroque practice.

“A silence so complete it becomes its own witness.”