Our Lady of the Dry Tree

Petrus Christus rendered this small devotional panel around 1462-65, measuring just 15 x 12 cm. The Virgin and Child stand within a withered tree surrounded by golden letters spelling "Ave Maria." The dead branches form a crown of thorns around the glowing figures, while the dark background heightens their radiance.

The iconography derives from the Confraternity of Our Lady of the Dry Tree in Bruges, to which both Christus and his wife belonged. The dry tree symbolizes the Tree of Knowledge, withered after the Fall. Mary, as the New Eve, brings redemption. The tiny Christ holds an orb topped with a cross. Christus employed trompe-l'œil effects, making objects appear three-dimensional. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid holds this jewel-like Northern Renaissance work.