The object in context
The Royal Museums’ 2016 selection identifies this work by Dirk Bouts: two oak panels, inventory 1447 & 1448, dated ca. 1473–1475. Its inventory number distinguishes the Brussels object from versions or reproductions elsewhere. The old list records a collection location in 2016, not a guarantee of display today.
Try this when you look
Read the two panels as a sequence. Identify the action in each, then compare witnesses, gestures and the position of authority. Keep the represented ordeal separate from a reliable method of proving guilt. The painting lets you examine a historical story about justice without accepting its procedure as evidence.
Before you visit
Check the museum’s current collection presentation using this inventory number. For a short visit, pair this object with one related work and reserve time to compare them. The room numbers in the historical PDF should not be used as a present-day floor plan.
- The object in context: The Royal Museums’ 2016 selection identifies this work by Dirk Bouts: two oak panels, inventory 1447 & 1448, dated ca. 1473–1475.
- Try this when you look: Read the two panels as a sequence.
- Before you visit: Check the museum’s current collection presentation using this inventory number.