The Trinity Altarpiece: The Holy Trinity
The original, as its museum records it
Every line above is reproduced from the holding institution’s own catalogue entry, which is linked. Where their title, date or attribution differs from ours, theirs is the one printed here.
The file this print is made from
Sizes
About this painting
The Throne of Mercy is named for the lid of the Ark, the Temple seat sprinkled with blood once a year. Van der Goes puts the body on it: the Father holding his crucified Son, the dove between them. Dermot Morrin suggests the red of the Father's robe is that blood.
Edward Bonkil, first provost of Edinburgh's Holy Trinity church, kneels facing the vision beside an angel at an organ where the gold is real leaf, not paint.
An x-ray shows damage scored into the paint above the Father's head, most probably an iconoclast's. The face was left alone.
Sources: National Galleries of Scotland, 'The Trinity Altarpiece by Hugo van der Goes', NG 1772. · Dermot Morrin OP, 'The Holy Trinity, Edinburgh', Dominicans in Scotland. · Angel's organ rendered in actual gold leaf, an archaic technique read as a deliberate break from naturalism to signal unmediated spiritual vision · Royal Collection Trust, 'The Trinity Panels by Hugo van der Goes'. · Leviticus 16:14-15, 16:34, Douay-Rheims. · Royal Collection Trust, 'The Trinity Panels by Hugo van der Goes: Materials and techniques'. · Royal Collection Trust, 'Hugo van der Goes (c. 1440-1482), The Trinity Altarpiece panels', RCIN 403260.
Printed on demand. Public-domain masterwork, reproduced from a 8,133 px master of the original. The whole image is printed — never cropped to fit the sheet — so every sheet carries an archival margin, and the dimensions and resolution listed above are the ones you receive.