De prediking van Johannes de Doper, linkerpaneel van een drieluik 1557

Jan van Coninxloo painted this panel of 'The Preaching of John the Baptist' around 1500, using oil on wood. Oil paint allowed for a smooth, almost enameled surface and the possibility to add layers of detail that were previously unachievable with egg tempera. The panel is a showcase of Coninxloo's mastery of this relatively new medium. The use of thin glazes creates luminosity, visible in the rendering of the figures' skin and clothing. Notice how the texture of the wood panel itself affects the painting's appearance; its grain subtly visible beneath the paint layers. Making this picture involved a complex division of labor. The panel would have been prepared by specialized joiners before being handed over to the artist's workshop. The grinding of pigments, mixing of paints, and application of varnish were all skilled processes. By understanding these processes, we can better appreciate the painting as not just an image, but a constructed object, embedded in a network of workshops, guilds, and trade.