"Crucifixion Diptych"

The asymmetry of the composition differs from van der Weyden's other works, suggesting that they were not designed as a diptych, but were part of a multi-panel altarpiece. Technical examination and research suggests that they served as the central outer two of four shutters covering a carved and painted wooden altarpiece. This placement helps to explain Rogier's highly simplified composition, as such outward-facing covers often featured figures in shallow, niche-like spaces, although his choice of a Crucifixion scene is unconventional. The extreme simplicity of Van der Weyden's design might indicate that the altarpiece was commissioned for a monastery; it would in any case have been a major project, one of the largest sculpted and painted examples of the period.