Saint John's Hospital

The Old St. John's Hospital shows the triptych of Jan Floreins, a triptych of Hans Memling , which he painted in 1479 for Brother Jan Floreins of the Old Saint John's Hospital in Bruges . The work is in the collection of the Memling Museum. But what is remarkable is that on the central panel a black Balthazar is painted, as one of the three kings. It is only in the late 14th century that King Balthazar was presented as a black man by Flemish painters. And that has something to do with the fact that people could see more and more black people with their own eyes in the streets of Europe during the 15th century. During this period, more and more exotic visitors from Middle East, India and Africa are moving from city to city in Europe. There is no question of real integration, but the view on the world of the local population was broadened and it attracted the attention of the artists.

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