Follower of Hieronymous Bosch, circa 1520

Both panels are cradled. Each wing consists of two vertical planks of roughly equal width. Both panel joins are visible and there has been some loss or abrasion along each of them, with subsequent restoration thereof.The paint surfaces are generally very good though dirty and in need of a clean. There is however an area of instability and flaking in the landscape beneath the town (left wing) and around the base of the tree (right wing). There is some oxidisation to the darker tones, in the folds of the red clothing of the foremost figure in the left wing, for example, and the blues of the sky have been strengthened. Overall the paintings are in good condition though might benefit from a surface clean.
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These mysterious altarpiece wings of unidentified subjects appear to be North Netherlandish, and quite early in date.  The facial types and the cramped vertical compositions with the figures and their faces packed tightly together are characteristic of North Netherlandish in the following of the Master of the Virgo inter Virgines.  Also characteristic of North-Netherlandish painting of this time is the interest in naturalism  and architecture, something to be noted in the works of Hieronymus Bosch and his circle.

We are grateful to Prof. Dr Jos A.A.M. Biemans for informing us that the document displayed prominently by the figure clad in red  is probably intended to give the impression of being a medieval letter, and includes some real words and some made-up ones, but is not a coherent text.  This is not an uncommon practice: for example the letter held by Saint Ivo in Rogier van der Weyden's celebrated painting is a similar concoction.