The Seven Works of Mercy

The Master of Alkmaar painted this Seven Works of Mercy in 1504, the masterwork that gives this anonymous painter his name. These seven panels, now in the Rijksmuseum, depict the corporal works of mercy described in Matthew 25 within recognizable Dutch urban settings. They are among the most important documents of daily life in early 16th-century Holland. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique.

Oil on panel with vivid narrative staging in detailed urban environments. The clear, descriptive style serves the didactic purpose of illustrating Christian charity through recognizable contemporary settings.