| Vienna Diptych | |
|---|---|
 The Fall of Man (left) / Lamentation (right) | |
| Artist | Hugo van der Goes |
| Year | after 1479 |
| Medium | Oil on wood |
| Dimensions | 32.2 cm × 21.9 cm (12.7 in × 8.6 in) |
| Location | Kunsthistorisches Museum,Vienna |
TheVienna Diptych or theFall and Redemption of Man[1] is a religiousdiptych by the Flemish artistHugo van der Goes depicting thefall of man on the left panel and thelamentation of Christ on the right panel. Painted in the second half of the 15th century, the diptych is housed in theKunsthistorisches Museum,Vienna.[1] According toWolfgang Kermer, who also described the work in detail in its condition in 1967, the diptych is unique in the history of diptych painting in terms of its subject matter (antithesis:Fall of Man /Redemption).[2]
The temptingSerpent is depicted as a bipedalsalamander-like creature because it was assumed that the serpent could walk before God's curse compelled it to crawl and eat dust.[3] The human-headed Serpent was introduced into art in the late 13th century.[3] SubsequentRenaissance artists generally abandoned the depiction of Serpent as a human-headed creature.[3]
The reverse side of the left panel has an image of SaintGenevieve painted on it.[4] The reverse side of the right panel bears traces of a coat of arms, consisting of a shield with a black eagle and twosupporters, of which only the feet survived.[4] The coat of arms was painted in the 17th century and indicates possibleHouse of Habsburg ownership of the diptych.[4]
