Oil Sketch for High Altarpiece, St Bavo, Ghent
- Artist: Peter Paul Rubens
- Date: 1611-12
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Oil Sketch for High Altarpiece, St Bavo, Ghent by Peter Paul Rubens. Painted in preparation for an altarpiece for St Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent, commissioned by Bishop Maes around 1611. The central panel shows Saint Bavo standing on the steps of St Peter’s Church, Ghent, being received as a monk by Saints Amand and Floribert.
Having given away all his money, he's surrounded by beggars, with a cleric holding out a black habit for him to wear instead of his armour. The left panel shows Saint Bavo’s sisters, Gertrude and Begga, who became nuns following their brother's example.
The right panel depicts King Clothar and his son arguing with a herald of the Roman Emperor Mauritius about a rule that forbade soldiers from becoming monks. This sketch is thought to be highly detailed and vividly coloured, likely used as a plan for the altarpiece.
See it in person
Oil Sketch for High Altarpiece, St Bavo, Ghent hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
