There are many great pieces of art in the world by many famous painters and other types of artists, but the piece of art that really strikes me is one entitled “Hell” by 15th century Flemish painter Hans Memling. He is much less known to people but is no less important.
The painting was done in 1485 with oil paints on an oak panel. The reason that this painting in particular stands out to me is that it is a totally different scene than anything else that Memling usually did.
His paintings usually had very cleans lines and depicted religious scenes or something similarly holy. This painting, in my eyes, has a brooding and ominous presence due to the colors that are used, as well as the strange creature that is in the middle.
I first discovered this piece when I saw it on the cover of singer Bruce Dickinson’s 2005 album, A Tyranny of Souls. It really makes a point when compared with his other works.
The scene and emotion it creates is one of despair and death. Who this painting was made for is unknown, but it is a known rumor that he would usually paint really ornate pieces of art for no charge at all as payment to the Hospitallers at Bruges, a territory in Belgium, for sheltering him and curing him in a time of need.
It was said that he was wounded in a battle, but this is false. He did indeed paint pictures for the Hospitallers, but not as any form of repayment. Churches and royalty would also commission him to create paintings for walls of churches or for private collections of wealthy folks.
Memling did not do only paintings, but he also built some model churches and painted the walls on them. One of these is the St. Ursula Shrine, which was built and painted by Memling in 1489. Its construction is simply gilded and painted wood, and the dimensions are 87 x 33 x 91 centimeters. “Hell” is one painting in a series of three entitled The Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation, the other two entitled “Death” and “Vanity.” The trio of paintings have a similar atmosphere; almost tarot card-like. “Vanity” is the only one with a strangely different feel, but somehow it still fits in with the other two.
Other notable paintings by Memling are the musician angels, the descent from the cross, still life, which is a portrait of a vase and numerous portraits of nobility and royalty. Some of the people’s portraits include Tommaso Portari and Maria Maddalena Baroncelli, as well as various portraits of young men and mythical religious figures such as the Archangel Michael.
