02/07/2026
What is that strange object?
Roseberys’ is delighted to present this early sixteenth-century Netherlandish panel in the upcoming Old Master, British & European Pictures sale this July. We were thrilled to invite , artist, art historian and writer based in London, to our Belgravia gallery to respond to the work and explore the various themes deep within.
Evie comments that “although it is only the left wing of what was once a much larger altarpiece, it remains an extraordinarily compelling painting. It depicts a kneeling devotee or donor receiving a blessing from a bishop saint, but neither figure can be identified with certainty. One intriguing clue is the sharp object protruding from the kneeling man’s mouth, which may suggest that the bishop is Saint Blaise, whose legend tells of the miraculous healing of a child choking on a fish bone. It is an intriguing possibility, but one that cannot be confirmed.”
What strikes Evie the most is “its extraordinary material presence. The lustrous fabrics, polished metalwork, embroidered vestments, and jewelled bishop’s mitre demonstrate why Netherlandish painting around 1500 represented such an important moment in European art. These artists exploited the possibilities of oil paint to achieve a remarkable level of visual realism.”
Evie closes by commenting that “many devotional works from this period, the panel has been separated from the architectural and liturgical setting for which it was created. Nevertheless, the surviving fragment still possesses extraordinary visual power. Five centuries later, the identities of its figures remain uncertain, but the craftsmanship of the anonymous artist continues to speak with remarkable clarity.”
Read Evie’s full article via the link in bio 🔗
Auction Date at Roseberys: Wednesday 8 July 📆
LOT 13: Netherlandish or Flemish School, c.1500-1520
The left wing of an altarpiece: A bishop saint blessing a kneeling devotee or donor;
oil on panel, cradled, 176 x 63 cm.
Estimate: £5,000 - £7,000
