THE ALTARPIECE OF THE SAINTS

POLYCHROME DECORATION 

Burnished gilt of the frame alternating with azurite in vaults and black polychrome decoration at the foot and rear of the tracery (which is missing today). Saints Peter and Paul still conserve their original polychrome decoration with their burnished gilt mantles with red and green layers on silver (to the inner linings of garments) and continuous applied brocade tunics. Simple incarnations with well-defined eyes, eyebrows, corners of mouths and bright red lips, all covered in very dark glaze.

Decorative techniques:

• Large sections (16 - 17.5 cm high) of continuous applied brocade with plant motifs, raised outer edges of the motifs. Parallel vertical lines and dotted pattern in one particular instance. The density of lines is 12 per cm on the figure of Saint Paul and 14 per cm on the figure of Saint Peter. Gilding with details picked out in green and red respectively. The latter is similar to those ones detected in several pieces, including the carving of the Virgin and Child, 1443, from Brussels, located in Vadstena (Geelen and Steyaert).