Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1995, Page 29

ÖGURBRÍK
33
Mále, Hmile, 1925. L'art religieux de la fin du moyen áge en France.
Murray, Peter and Linda, 1963. The art of the Renaissance.
Musper, H.Th., 1961. Gotische malerei nördlich der Alpen.
Miiller, Theodor, 1966. Sculpture in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain: 1400-1500.
Panofsky, Erwin, 1953. Early Netherlandish Painting.
Pieper, Paul, 1990. Die deutschen, niederlándischen und italienischen Tafelbilder bis um 1530.
Recht, Ronald, 1988. L'univers des formes/Le monde gothique. 1380-1500.
Rickert, Margaret, 1956. Painting in Britain / The Middle Ages.
Schöne, Wolfgang, 1938. Dieric Bouts und seine Schule.
SUMMARY
The article examines a triptych in flamboyant Gothic style from the church of Ögur in Isa-
fjarðardjúp, Northwest Iceland, which has been in the possession of the National Museum of
Iceland since 1890 (catologue no. 3435). It is made of wood, carved, painted and gilded, and is
probably early 16th century Flemish work. According to tradition, the retable was originally
donated to the church of Ögur by Björn Guðnason the Wealthy (d 1518). It has suffered the
ravages of time and has lost e.g. the attributes of most of its saints. It was restored in 1960. The
central part includes 14 carved wooden statuettes, and the front and back of both side panels
are decorated by oil paintings. God the Father and Jesus Christ are depicted inside a large cent-
ral niche, which may also have contained an image of a white dove, the symbol of the Holy
Ghost. Smaller statuettes, possibly all of the apostles, occupy 12 niches on the right and the left.
The apostles St James the Great, St Andrew, St Jude, and perhaps both St James the Less and
St Peter are recognizable. One figure depicts either St Matthew or St Matthias. The illustrations
on the side panels depict the Holy Trinity, the Annunciation, the Virgin and Child and the
Coronation of the Virgin. According to Micheline Sonkes of Brussels, the paintings on the side
panels display the influence of the famous Netherlandish painters Dirk Bouts and Quentin
Massys. The author detects links with the work of two Westphalian painters associated with
Herzebrock and Liesborn and the choice of colours in the Annunciation is reminiscent of
Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea Verrocchio.
lt has been thought that the Liesborn Master worked in the circle of Roger van der Weyden
and Dirk Bouts. A relationship can be demonstrated between the paintings and English medi-
aeval manuscript illuminations. A soft, harmonious plasticity, characteristic of French sculp-
ture of the late Middle Ages, dominates the carved statuettes.