The descent from the cross
Hugo van der Goes, a pioneer of the Northern Renaissance, wasn't afraid to show the gritty reality of death. In this intense scene, Christ's body looks heavy and lifeless, his skin pale and bruised, a stark contrast to the idealized figures of the Italian Renaissance. The mourners surrounding him—especially the wide-eyed older man and the solemn figure in the red hat—look genuinely devastated, their faces etched with a psychological depth that was revolutionary for the 15th century. Van der Goes, a Flemish master who later suffered a severe mental breakdown, poured his own inner turmoil into these raw, human expressions.