1425_Three_Marys_at_Tomb_van_Eyck.txt

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Hubert van Eyck ? – 1426
The Three Marys at the Tomb

oil on panel (72 × 89 cm) — c. 1425
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam

This work is linked to Luke 24:1

Dressed in the Burgundian fashion of the 15th century, three women are located at the empty grave. The angel tells them what happened. The guards are caught in a deep sleep. The women carry bottles with ointment and spices to treat the corpse.

None of the gospels describes the scene exactly as Van Eyck does on this panel. The painting is closest to Matthew's description, the only gospel that mentions an angel sitting on the door to the empty grave, and that also mentions the sleeping guards.
Mark talks of "Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome" and a young man sitting next to the grave.
Luke says the women were "Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James". He also claims that "two men stood by them in shining garments".
John only mentions Mary Magdalene visiting the grave.

This work is often erroneously attributed to Hubert van Eyck's famous brother Jan.