Central panel of the Triptych of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist 1479

Hans Memling painted this central panel of the Triptych of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in Bruges, rendered with oil paint. The material qualities of the figures’ garments – their folds, weight, and sheen – are captured with painstaking accuracy through glazing, in which thin layers of pigment are applied one over another to create luminosity, with the utmost refinement. The velvet gown of Mary Magdalene, kneeling at the left, is a masterclass in this technique. But look closer, and you see that the work's emphasis is not solely on the aristocracy of the cloth. At Magdalene’s feet is a spinning wheel. This links her to the production of textiles, but it also symbolizes the labor of women, in counterpoint to the opulence surrounding her. Memling acknowledges that the materials of power and luxury are only achieved through human effort, making this painting a window onto the social relations of 15th-century Bruges.