The Doria-Pamphilj Diptych (right wing)

The left wing of the diptych depicts the Virgin and Child in the Church, while the right wing the donor Antonio Siciliano and St Anthony.

The diptych was commissioned by Antonio Siciliano who served as chamberlain and secretary to Massimiliano Sforza, the Duke of Milan. In 1513 he was dispatched to Margaret of Austria in Mechelen on a diplomatic mission. It is assumed that Siciliano commissioned the painting from Gossart, who about 1513 worked at Margaret’s court in Mechelen.

The donor is depicted in the right-hand panel, kneeling with his dog by his side, against the backdrop of a mountainous landscape with a meadow full of flowers in the foreground, in the act of being presented by his patron St Anthony to the Madonna, represented on the opposite panel.

The authorship of the diptych is debated, especially that of the donor (right) wing. Several alternative suggestions were proposed, the authorship being connected to the Antwerp Mannerists or to the artists contributing to the Grimani Breviary. The left panel is attributed to Gerard David. This attribution is supported by recent technical examination.