Hispanic Flemish master second half of the 15th century

Hispanic Flemish master second half of the 15th century.
"Saint Paul".
Oil and tempera on panel.
Measurements: 73 x 47 cm; 85 x 58 cm (frame).
Good state of conservation.

This piece is a classic example of Hispano-Flemish painting, a style that dominated Spain (particularly Castile and Aragon) in the late fifteenth century. It represents a fusion of local Spanish artistic traditions with the influential technique and realism imported from Flanders (present-day Belgium/Netherlands). The figure stands before a naturalistic landscape with rolling hills, trees and buildings. This suggests an attempt at atmospheric perspective. The gold, plaque-like halo behind the head is a conservative Spanish feature. While Flemish painters favored bright rays or eliminated halos altogether for greater realism, Spanish patrons often still demanded the gold disk to ensure that the figure's sanctity was evident. The figure is somewhat static and monumental, remaining rigid in comparison to the more fluid movement seen in purely Flemish works of the same period. The format (tall and narrow) suggests that this panel was probably part of a larger altarpiece . It would have been one of several side panels flanking a central scene (such as a Virgin and Child or Crucifixion) in a chapel or church.