Werl Altarpiece 1438

These panels, now in the Prado, were made in the early 15th century by Robert Campin, using oil paint on wood. Look closely, and you'll notice Campin's incredible attention to the materiality of everyday life. In the panel on the right, the Virgin Mary sits in what looks like a comfortable domestic interior. The textures of the wooden floorboards, her heavy woolen dress, and the metalware on the mantlepiece are all carefully observed. Even the light streaming through the glass window feels real. On the left, we see similar attention to detail in the burnished metal of the hanging basin. Campin’s virtuosic handling of oil paint imbued this religious scene with an earthly quality. His work suggests that the divine can be found in the most humble, handmade things. By giving such prominence to the texture and form of everyday materials, Campin elevates the status of craft itself.