Triptych
by COECKE VAN AELST, Pieter, Oil on panel, 90 x 156 cm (with frame)
The central panel of the triptych shows the Adoration of the Magi, while the wings depict the Annunciation (left) and the Adoration of the Shepherds (right).
Coecke’s style is characterised by sophisticate elegant figures, dynamic attitudes and the luxurious details of preciously painted clothes, in keeping with the canons of the Mannerist trend that was prevalent in Antwerp after 1520, the time of his training. Other characteristic traits of his style are his precise draughtsmanship and enamel-like surfaces, not to mention the volume and shaping of the figures.