1400-15
Tempera on wood, 58,9 x 39,5 cm (central panel of walnut), 59,1 x 19,9 cm (wings of oak)
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne
On the wings are St Catherine (left) and St Barbara (right), turning towards the centre panel with the famous Madonna of the flowering sweetpea. The pea stem - not a vetch as thought earlier - is an unusual attribute symbolizing Mary's virginity. This altarpiece is one of the most important examples of the late Gothic 'Weiche Stil' or 'soft style'.
