Triptych of the Sedano Family 1498

Gerard David painted this triptych of the Sedano family sometime around 1490, using oils on panel. This is a devotional painting that also functions as a family portrait, a common format in the Netherlands at the time. Wealthy families would often commission these works to display their piety and social status. We can think about what it meant for the Sedano family to have themselves represented in the company of the Virgin Mary and saints. It tells us something about their aspirations to nobility and closeness to God. Looking closely, we notice how the composition is organized around lines of sight and gestures, directing our attention to the Virgin and Child at the center. The landscape backgrounds situate the scene in a specific place, associating the family with the land. As historians, we rely on archival documents, genealogical records, and studies of patronage to better understand the social world in which this image was created. The meaning of art is never fixed; it's always shaped by the context in which it is made and viewed.