Two Legends of St. Nicholas 1510

Gerard David created this painting using oil paint during the early 16th century. The smooth, luminous surface we see is thanks to the painstaking layering of thin glazes, a technique perfected in the Netherlands at this time. Think of the way David has used the oil medium to create an astonishing range of textures, from the gold brocade of St. Nicholas's vestments, which must have taken a long time to be realized, to the subtle gradations of flesh tone, rendered with great skill. The making of the panel itself is also important. The wood would have been carefully selected, planed, and prepared to provide a stable support for the paint layers. In its own time, this painting would have been understood as the product of immense labor, both artistic and material. Considering this helps us to appreciate the painting not just as a beautiful image, but as a testament to human skill and ingenuity. It blurs the distinction between craft and fine art.