Rogier van der Weyden

Rogier van der Weyden's paintings join the detailed surfaces of Netherlandish oil painting with a concentrated interest in human response. The Descent from the Cross gathers sacred figures into a tightly connected arrangement of bodies, hands, and exchanged gestures, making grief visible through their shared movement. The Seven Sacraments places Christian rites within the unified space of a church interior, bringing several episodes into one architectural setting. His portraits use a quieter arrangement to concentrate attention on the face, dress, and bearing of the sitter. Rogier trained with Robert Campin in Tournai before becoming painter to the city of Brussels in 1435. Commissions for the city, churches, Philip the Good of Burgundy, and other princely patrons brought this expressive approach to different religious and civic settings, with workshop collaboration supporting parts of his output.