Altarpiece of St Michael
by DAVID, Gerard, Oil on wood, 66 x 53 cm (centre), 66 x 23 cm (each wing)
The centre part of the small triptych represents the battle of St Michael with the Devil. On the side panels St Jerome and St Anthony of Padua can be seen in a contiguous landscape as a background.
Gerard David was the last major figure of the Bruges school, founded by Jan van Eyck. Although David worked on a much larger scale than Van Eyck, he too was known for the acute observation of details of the natural world and their rendition in glowing, enamel-like oils.