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

CHAPTER X 260 To the back, the flanking panels (each including a narrow and a broad panel) are lined across their whole width by a sort of rigid inner frame in wood (fig. 129); at first sight one might think that these flanking panels were part of what ought to be, on the front, a large fixed altarpiece. But this is not at all the case, as we shall see. The two thicknesses of the frame of the wide side panels are nailed together with large nails, the cross-shaped heads of which are visible on the front of the frames; moreover, at the back, solid strap hinges are nailed across the entire width and in the outside corners. The lower strap hinges are raised in an L-shape, ending with knuckles on the Trinity side. On the light frame of the Trinity there is no sign of any corresponding hinge or trace of hinge. It is clear that the two heavy side elements were not attached to the Trinity (fig. 131). To hold the structure in place, the side parts would have had to be been attached to the safekeeping box; both the side parts and the box must have been equipped with strap hinges ending with corresponding knuckles. This box, which has since disappeared, must have been solid, not only in order to protect the reliquary, but also in order to bear the weight of the side parts. Fig. 131. a. Left hand lateral part: part of a hinge with no corresponding element on the frame of the Trinity. The corresponding element was probably attached to the reliquary box. In the background to the left, one can see the knuckles to which a wing was to be hung. These knuckles are placed to the front of the frame, on the stile between the panel of the Virgin (hands crossed on her breast) and that of the apostles St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew. b. Hinge on a central stile, where the wing was suspended. Another element worth mentioning is that the backs of the lateral parts are carefully woodworked, with traces of the original polychromy: black on the frame, and brown- red on the panels. This tells us that the reverse sides were occasionally exposed to view. The reverse of the central panel (the Trinity), on the other hand, has no traces of paint, which confirms that it was kept out of sight, being the cover of the box. a b