Although born in Germany, Hans Memling spent most of his career working in the Flemish town of Bruges. One of the largest and most celebrated of the artist’s works, the triptych of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist also known as the Mystic Marriage of St Catherine is a wonderful example of his distinct style, which combines Germanic spirituality and gracefulness with the Flemish obsession for rich, naturalistic detail. Completed in 1479 for the high altar of the chapel of St John's Hospital in Bruges, the triptych is dedicated to the Virgin and the two St Johns, the patron saints of the hospital. The central panel of the triptych depicts the virgin and child sit under a balcony of honor flanked by two male saints, John Baptist in a rough garment of camel’s hair and John Evangelist in a red robe, and two female saints, Catherine and Barbara. The donors consisted of two brethren and two sisters of the hospital, Jacob de Ceuninc, Antheunis Seghers, Agnes Casembrood and Clara van Hulsen, and each of their portraits appear on the exterior accompanied by his or her patron saint. The flanking wings each depict episodes from the lives of the two St Johns. On the left is the moment just after the beheading of John the Baptist, while on the right John the Evangelist records his vision of the apocalypse on the Island of Patmos. The carefully organized and symmetrical composition presents the different elements of the narratives in an orderly fashion and Memling’s portrayal of the Apocalypse is particularly noteworthy. Prior to this piece, no artist had represented the entire Book of Revelation, with all of its various symbols, in a single, undivided painting and Memling creates a scene of intense realism and drama. Typical of his style is the use of oil to create vibrant colors and convincing representation of various textures, as well as his standard figure type with tall, slender bodies and oval, inexpressive faces. ; 68.3 x 68.4 in (central), 69.3 in x 31.1 in (each wing)