The Portinari Triptych is a large triptych painting that was commissioned by Tommaso Portinari, an agent of the Medicean bank, around 1475. The painting measures 253 x 304 cm in length and width respectively and is considered to be one of the treasures of Northern Renaissance art. The triptych captures the Adoration of the Shepherds and was painted by Hugo Van Der Goes, one of the greatest Netherlandish painters of the second half of the 15th century.
Legend has it that the triptych was shipped from Bruges by sea and arrived in Pisa via Sicily with funding provided by banker Niccolò di Giovanni Capponi. The painting was intended to hang in the church of Sant’Egidio, where it would have served as an altarpiece in the chapel of the Portinari family. The central panel alone measures 240 cm by 340 cm, making it one of the largest paintings produced by a Flemish artist during the 15th century.
Hugo Van Der Goes was known for his masterful use of light and attention to detail, both of which are evident in the Portinari Triptych. The painting caused quite a stir when it arrived in Florence, and it quickly became recognized as a masterpiece of Renaissance art. Today, the Portinari Triptych is displayed at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy, where it continues to be admired by visitors from around the world.
