Portrait of a Donor (recto); Saint Anthony of Padua (verso)

Memling's Portrait of a Donor with Saint Anthony of Padua on the reverse (c. 1485) functioned as the wing of a devotional diptych, with the donor kneeling in prayerful communion before a central Virgin and Child now lost or separated. Such portable diptychs were prized objects of Flemish domestic devotion, carried during travel and installed in private oratories. Saint Anthony on the reverse indicated the patron's name saint, personalizing the devotional object. Memling's approach to the donor portrait — combining dignified presentation with interior psychological life — elevated the genre beyond mere record-keeping into genuine art.

Memling's precise oil technique renders both sides of the panel with characteristic refinement. The donor's portrait is painted with naturalistic detail and sympathetic characterization, while Saint Anthony on the verso is rendered with devotional idealism. The small format demands miniaturist precision, which Memling handles with characteristic elegance.