Christ among the Doctors [obverse]

Bernard van Orley

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows several people in a columned structure outdoors. The structure includes thin white columns with intricate gold detailing, vaulted blue ceilings, and carved gray stone walls. Several small, gold, cherub-like figures are at the top of the structure in molded niches. In the center of the painting, a young child with shoulder-length, wavy, light brown hair is seated on a low ledge between the columns, gesturing with one hand outstretched and another near their chest. The child is barefoot and dressed in a dark blue gown, and they are surrounded by a group of older men. The men on either side are elaborately dressed, wearing a variety of turbans, hats, and hoods, along with colorful robes and tunics. Some of them hold books or scrolls and appear engaged in discussion, most of them looking towards the child. Behind the child, a man and a woman stand together, looking towards the group. The man has brown hair and a brown beard and wears a pink tunic with a pink cloak, and the woman wears a blue dress and cloak with a white cloth over her hair, her hands crossed over her chest. Behind them appears to be a pale pink castle with railings and towers, green leaves peeking out from behind it. The sky in the center is light gray, but at the top of the painting it is a rich blue.”