Frames and supports in 15th and 16th-century Southern Netherlandish painting

CHAPTER X 246 78. This important detail has not been shown in the scheme of the Corpus of the Groeninge Museum, which however signals other changes in the composition. Janssens de Bisthoven 1983, 176. 79. On the other hand, Jan de Leeuw is also represented with short arms. 80. Paul Van den Bussche and Francine Huys, restorers at the Groeninge Museum in Bruges, drew our attention to the red lake on Mary’s mantle, which has been entirely remodelled by the artist’s fingers or palm. 81. Adhémar 1975, 9-17; Hagopian van Buren 1978, 631-633 and fig. 15; Lorentz 1992, 42-49. 82. Veronee-Verhaegen 1973, 46. 83. Van Asperen de Boer and Faries 1990, 37. 84. Klein 1987, 29-40. A remark should be added concerning the paintlayers. The X-radiograph shows that Margaret’s belt was intended and perhaps painted lower, as a strip of lower density under the actual belt demonstrates. 78 This first location of the belt left no room for the hands, which several authors have considered, perhaps rightly, as later additions. 79 In fact the portrait without hands would have been better balanced. Certain copies of Margaret have hands, others do not. This perhaps implies that a prototype without hands existed. The Virgin and Child with Canon Joris van der Paele (Bruges, GM , no. 1 ): the skilful moulding of the frame is a variation of the moulding with double cavetto typical for small frames. The corners are assembled with mortise and tenon and present at the corners combined joints (partially mitred, partially at right angle) reinforced with fibres. The joins of the different boards of the support are equally reinforced with long fibres imbedded in the ground. The fibers, well visible on the X-radiograph, have caused deep cracks in the layer of paint. A similar use of fibres has not been noticed elsewhere amongst Van Eyck’s paintings. 80 The Rolin Madonna : the original frame is lost. On the front, there are a barbe and large unpainted borders. The flat reverse is painted up to the edges, now hidden by a modern frame, in yellowish green jasper on a layer of black paint over a white ground. There was perhaps an attached frame on the front. The origin of the painting has been extensively studied. 81 It probably hung in Rolin’s Private Chapel in Notre-Dame du Chastel d’Autun 82 – where, according to the archives, statues of St Sebastian and St Andrew adorned the altar. It has therefore been suggested that the painting did not adorn the altar and was rather hung against the wall. 83 The dimensions of the Rolin Madonna are 71.0 (±0.1) × 65.0 (±0.1) × 2.3 (±0.1) cm. Painted surface: 65.0 × 62.3 cm; unpainted borders: upper and lower ± 3 cm, left and right: ±1.35 cm. Oak, three boards (butt join reinforced with dowels) respectively 20.5 cm, 23.5 cm, 21 cm. 84