The Emotional Paintings of Hugo van der Goes

"Birth of Christ," ["Nativity"] circa 1480, by Hugo van der Goes. Oil on oak wood; 38.1 inches by 96.4 inches. State Museums of Berlin, Gemäldegalerie. Courtesy of Gemäldegalerie

The exhibition “Hugo van der Goes: Between Bliss and Pain” at Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie gathers most of the artist’s surviving paintings and drawings for the first time since Hugo van der Goes’s death 540 years ago. This exhibit is an outstanding feat due to the rarity of surviving works, as well as their frequently large format.

Van der Goes was the most important Netherlandish painter in the latter part of the 15th century—especially notable for monumental altarpieces with strong colors, astounding realism, and sensitive, expressive portrayals of emotion.

Little is known about Hugo van der Goes’s life as a burgeoning artist. His work shows a strong influence and affiliation with the oeuvre of the Brussels master Rogier van der Weyden, a highly influential painter in his time. Scholars theorize van der Goes may have trained in his workshop. An important van der Weyden work included in the exhibition, which is part of the Gemäldegalerie’s collection, is the triptych “Middelburg Altarpiece.” The notable formatting of the central group of figures around Mary and Christ was a model for a number of artists, including one of van der Goes’s monumental altarpieces illustrating the Nativity.

“Middelburg Altarpiece (Bladelin Altarpiece),” circa 1450, by Rogier van der Weyden. Oil on oak panel; 36.8inches by 16.4 inches. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (State Museums of Berlin), Gemäldegalerie. Christoph Schmidt/CC BY-SA 4.0

By 1467, van der Goes was an independent master in the city of Ghent, receiving commissions from private patrons, the Burgundian court, as well as for civic celebrations and official processions. In the mid-1470s, he left his successful secular career to enter a monastery near Brussels. There, as a lay brother, he continued to create art, and prominent patrons such as Archduke Maximilian of Austria collected his sought-after artworks. Indeed, most of his extant works date from this period.

The exhibit comprises loans from numerous international collections, including autographed works, copies of lost originals, as well as works by subsequent artists influenced by van der Goes. However, the crux of the exhibition is 12 of the 14 paintings attributed to van der Goes, along with two drawings believed to be by his hand.

‘Monforte Altar’

Part of the triptych "The Adoration of the Kings" ("Monforte Altar"), circa 1470/1475, by Hugo van der Goes. Oil on oak panel; 57.8 inches by 95.2 inches. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (State Museums of Berlin), Gemäldegalerie. Gemäldegalerie. Courtesy of Gemäldegalerie

Two of his monumental works are part of the Gemäldegalerie’s collection and both have been extensively restored over the course of 12 years. One of these works is the “Monforte Altar,”  an especially rare example as it dates to van der Goes’ pre-monastery Ghent period. Though an early work from van der Goes’s career (in fact, the earliest surviving work), it already shows him a master of his medium and at the height of his powers.

“Monforte Altar” was originally made as a large triptych, though only the central panel, in a modified cut down form, survives. It offers a moving, meditative depiction of the Adoration of the Magi. This work is the most important extant van der Goes painting. Mary is seated in front of the stone ruins of what was once a monumental building. She gazes at the Christ child cradled on her lap as the three kings bearing gifts pay tribute.

Christ, instead of greeting the kings, directs his attention on the viewer, drawing one into the scene. In a tour de force, van der Goes employs incredible lighting effects and portrays the kings’ luxurious textiles and objects with rich, subtly varying colors. The Museum explains in their publication “Gemäldegalerie: 200 Masterpieces of European Painting” that “the solemn tranquility and uncommon monumentality of these figures go far beyond anything that had been achieved in Netherlandish art up to that point.”

As with so much of van der Goes’s life and work, the impetus for this altarpiece and its original location remain mysterious. At the end of the 16th century, it arrived at the Spanish Jesuit monastery of Monforte, where it assumed its current name.

“Monforte Altar” served as a model for Netherlandish painters for decades, as attested by the existence of number of copies of this particular work. Another “Adoration of the Magi” scene by van der Goes, now lost, was also influential on successive artists. The work of the last great 15th-century painter from Bruges, Gerard David, reflects this influence. David painted two works after van der Goes’s lost “Adoration of the Magi,” and his miniature interpretation on parchment is among the exhibit’s works.

Hugo van der Goes is an artist unparalleled in his ability to articulate precise details and depict complex characterizations with dazzlingly technical skill and colorization. Close examination of his atmospheric paintings, many of which reveal a deep spirituality, is infinitely rewarding. “Hugo van der Goes: Between Bliss and Pain” is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that in person.

“Hugo van der Goes: Between Bliss and Pain” at Gemäldegalerie, Berlin runs until July 16. To find out more, visit www.smb.museum