Hispano-Flemish school, 16th century. "Christ". After a model by DIRK BOUTS (Haarlem, c. 1410/1420 - Leuven, 1475). Oil on panel, adapted to a period tabernacle door. Size: 39 x 26.5 cm; 50 x 47 cm (frame). In this devotional image of Christ, personified as Redeemer and Saviour. It is a model derived from the iconography of the Holy Face. In this case, it also follows models by the Flemish painter Dirk Bouts, whose emphatic style and emphasis on drawing is revealed here. In this painting, the Spanish Tenebrist legacy and the Flemish school converge, resulting in a special attention to quality and at the same time in an expressiveness and pathos of Hispanic roots. In this work the artist reveals a remarkable sense of draughtsmanship and a skilful use of colour. Historians agree that Bouts may have studied with Rogier van der Weyden. His work was influenced by van der Weyden and Jan van Eyck. He worked in Louvain from 1457 (or possibly earlier) until his death in 1475. Little is known of this artist. The biographical note dedicated to him by Carel van Mander (1604) is, by his own admission, very incomplete. In 1468 he was appointed official painter to the city of Louvain, near Brussels. He is famous for his numerous religious paintings, in particular the Virgin and Child. Most of the time he used wooden supports on which he painted in oil. His mastery of perspective is visible in the precise settings in which the characters fit together with perfect coherence. During the 15th century, the influence of the Flemish school of painting was a key factor in the development of European art, especially in Spain, which was linked to the Low Countries by political and economic ties. At that time, Flemish painters established a stylistic model based on the search for reality, focusing on capturing the qualities of objects, giving special importance to secondary details and using a smooth, draughtsmanlike technique. In the 16th century, following the introduction of the novelties of the Italian Renaissance, the Flemish style evolved towards a more classical and sculptural style, while retaining its own characteristics.