Petrus Christus, 1449 - A Goldsmith in his Shop - fine art print

Artwork specifications from The Metropolitan Museum of Art website (© - by The Metropolitan Museum of Art - The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

A celebrated masterpiece of Northern Renaissance Art, this painting was signed and dated 1449 by Petrus Christus, the leading painter in Bruges (Flanders) after the death of Jan van Eyck. The panel attests to Netherlandish artists’ keen interest in pictorial illusionism and meticulous attention to detail, especially in the luminous jeweled, glass, and metallic objects, secular and ecclesiastic trade wares that are examples of the goldsmith's virtuosity. The main figure in this enigmatic painting was long identified as Saint Eligius (the patron saint of goldsmiths) due to the presence of a halo, which was recognized as a later addition and subsequently removed. The panel is likely a vocational painting, which portrays the profession of goldsmithing and perhaps a specific goldsmith. Technical analysis reveals the underdrawing of the goldsmith's face to be very carefully modeled—more so than the faces of the couple—indicating the possibility of a portrait. It has been suggested that he is Willem van Vleuten, a Bruges goldsmith who worked for Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy. In 1449, the date of this painting, the duke commissioned from van Vlueten a gift for Mary of Guelders on the occasion of her marriage to James II, King of Scots. That couple may well be depicted in this painting, portrayed buying a wedding ring that is being weighed on a scale. The girdle that extends over the ledge of the shop into the viewer’s space is a further allusion to matrimony. The convex mirror, which links the pictorial space to the street outside, reflects two young men with a falcon (a symbol of pride and greed) and establishes a moral comparison between the imperfect world of the viewer and the world of virtue and balance depicted here.

Details of the print product

This painting was created by the Dutch painter Petrus Christus. The 570 years old version of the masterpiece was made with the dimensions: Overall 39 3/8 x 33 3/4 in (100,1 x 85,8 cm); painted surface 38 5/8 x 33 1/2 in (98 x 85,2 cm). Oil on oak panel was used by the Dutch artist as the medium of the work of art. This artwork is in the the The Metropolitan Museum of Art's art collection. We are happy to mention that the work of art, which is in the public domain is being supplied with courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Robert Lehman Collection, 1975. Furthermore, the artpiece has the creditline: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975. Further, the alignment of the digital reproduction is portrait with a ratio of 1 : 1.2, which implies that the length is 20% shorter than the width. The Netherlandish painter, born ca. Petrus Christus was an artist from the Netherlands, whose artistic style was primarily Northern Renaissance. The Dutch painter was born in 1444 in Baarle-Hertog, Antwerpen province, Flanders, Belgium and passed away at the age of 32 in 1476 in Bruges, West-Vlaanderen, Flanders, Belgium.

Select the product material of your choice

We offer a range of different sizes and materials for every product. Choose among the following product options now to match your preferences in size and material:

• The canvas print: The canvas direct print is a printed cotton canvas mounted on a wood stretcher. Besides, canvas generates a attractive, comfortable ambience. Canvas Prints have the advantage of being relatively low in weight, which implies that it is easy to hang up your Canvas print without any wall-mounts. Because of thata canvas print is suited for any type of wall.
• Aluminium dibond: This is a metal print manufactured on alu dibond material with a true effect of depth. A non-reflective surface creates a fashionable impression. The UV print on aluminium is the most popular entry-level product and is a contemporary way to display art, since it draws focus on the artwork.
• The acrylic glass print (with real glass coating): A glossy acrylic glass print, which is sometimes denoted as a plexiglass print, transforms your favorite original artwork into wonderful home decoration. Your work of art is being made thanks to the help of state-of-the-art UV printing machines. The plexiglass protects your chosen fine art print against light and heat for between 40-60 years.
• The poster print on canvas material: The Artprinta poster is a UV printed canvas paper with a granular surface texture. Please keep in mind, that depending on the size of the poster we add a white margin of around 2-6cm around the print, which facilitates the framing with a custom frame.

General information on the artist

Background data on the work of art

Article information

Legal disclaimer: We try everything in order to depict our products in as much detail as possible and to demonstrate them visually on the product detail pages. Nevertheless, the tone of the print products and the imprint can differ marginally from the presentation on the device's screen. Depending on the settings of your screen and the nature of the surface, not all colors are printed 100% realistically. Considering that all the are printed and processed by hand, there may also be slight deviations in the exact position and the size of the motif.

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