Rogier Van der Weyden was a Flemish painter of the mid-15th century. Rogier was mainly influenced by his first teacher, Robert Campin. Although the details of his early training are unclear, it is generally accepted that he entered the studio of Robert Campin, the greatest painter of Tournai and dean of the guild of painters, in 1427 at the age of 27 (http://www.belgium.être). Rogier remained in Campin's workshop for five years, becoming an independent guild master on August 1, 1432. Van der Weyden was not allowed to sell his works while studying in Campin's shop. From Campin, Rogier learned the heavy, detailed realism that characterized his early paintings, and the styles of these two masters are so similar that critics still disagree about who painted certain works (http://www.abcgallery .com/W/weyden/weydenbio.html). Although no surviving works are signed, many can be identified through documentary evidence, and through this the body of his work can be tentatively reconstructed (Encyclopedia of Art and Artists, 691). His earliest works, before 1430, feature scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, such as in the Annunciation, these paintings closely resemble those of his master Campin but exhibit a greater emotional and dramatic intensity than that achieved by Campin. Rogier's mature works, between 1430 and 1450, demonstrate a growing interest in the theme of the passion of Christ. They are characterized by cold colors, by elongated lines punctuated by the elegant po...