Crazy about Dymphna

Around 1505 Goossen Van der Weyden,
Rogier's grandson, painted a monumental altarpiece depicting the various
phases of Saint Dymphna's insane life.

This Irish princess, who
fled her incestuous father in the sixth century, was beheaded in the
Kempen village of Geel. On account of her tragic end and uncompromising
chastity, the princess was venerated from that moment on as the patron
saint of the mentally ill. From the late Middle Ages, pilgrims flocked
to Geel in large numbers to catch a glimpse of Saint Dymphna. They paid
homage to the local celebrity in the hope that she would alleviate their
mental problems. To this day, Geel is known for its unique treatment of
the mentally ill, who are cared for at home by locals.

Goossen
Van der Weyden's altarpiece came into being at the height of Dymphna's
popularity. The masterpiece was intended for the church of Tongerlo
Abbey. Today this work is characterised by a remarkable iconography and
an eventful history: a panel was lost and the triptych was even sawn
into pieces. It ultimately came into the hands of a team of specialists
from Belgium and abroad who subjected the altarpiece to a meticulous
conservation over a period of three years, a colossal undertaking during
which new techniques were used. This gave the conservators
unprecedented insight into the mind, and workshop, of an early 16th
century painter.

This richly illustrated book is the result of
years of research and contains essays by Till-Holger Borchert (Musea
Brugge), Stephan Kemperdick (Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin),
Katharina Van Cauteren (The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp), Lucinda
Timmermans (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam), Patrick Allegaert (Dr. Guislain
Museum, Ghent) and many others.