Saint Columba Altarpiece

The reverse of the exterior panels are covered with plain paint and lack indication that they ever contained donor portraits as were typical for the time.

[2][4] The work draws inspiration from Stefan Lochner's Altarpiece of the Patron Saints of Cologne (1440s),[5] which Van der Weyden is known to have seen.

He is depicted as a devout witness to the nativity, and is placed in front of the nearest part of a detailed and expansive cityscape that extends across the top portion of most of the panel.

[2][8] The city view on the panel's left contain a number of small figures walking along a steep pathway that winds downwards towards the stable.

"[9] A small crucifix hangs on the pillar behind Mary's head,[10] even though the scene takes place 33–36 years before the death of Jesus Christ.

The presentation takes place in the octagonal building's entrance, in an area surrounded by monumental arches, another bold and innovative use of space and perspective.

[11] The buildings above the central part of the panel appear to be far more distant than those on the left, giving the impression that the city, which is presumably Bethlehem, is sharply receding into an increasingly remote horizon.