Goldsmith in Shop (1449). Oil on panel. 100 x 86. A Goldsmith in His Shop is a 1449 painting by Petrus Christus, a leading painter in Bruges. It is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is an oil painting on an oak panel that measures 100.1 x 85.8 cm overall and the painted surface is 98 x 85.2 cm. An inscription at the bottom of the painting states m petr xpi me· ·fecit·ao 1449·. In addition, the inscription has an emblem of a clock with a mechanical linkage to a heart, Christus's emblem. This painting is among the best known of the artist's work and a masterpiece of Northern Renaissance. It was possibly commissioned by the goldsmith's guild of Bruges as an advertisement. In some sources, the title of the painting is A Goldsmith in His Shop, Possibly Saint Eligius. The presence of a halo over the goldsmith's head suggested Saint Eligius. Later, it was determined that the halo was added after the work was painted and it was removed. Petrus Christus worked from 1444 and died in Bruges in 1475 or 1476. Maryan Ainsworth titles the painting Saint Eligius. Saint Eligius is unique among the Christus' paintings in that it has an interesting inscription. The inscription, 41 petr xpi me fecit a° 1449, is followed by a heart-shaped mark. The inscription uses the Burgundian batarde script, a style used on guild tablets of goldsmiths and manuscript illuminators. The notation preceding the name means the master's title and shows Christus's training. Although worn, the inscription has been characterized as beautifully executed. It is completely original. It coordinates with the lighting of the painting where on the left the signature is fainter as it is shadowed by the marriage girdle. It becomes brighter on the right. While this painting is among the best known of the artist's work, it may also be the most puzzling. Some have suggested it is an actual wedding portrait. Max J. Friedlander proposed that the painting is simply of an ideal bridal couple. According to Panofsky, this explanation is consistent with a painting commissioned by a goldsmiths' guild to advertise its services to the community, particularly its participation in the sacraments of the church. in addition, the large size of the work suggests that it was too large for private use but was for public display. The painting includes many details. On the right side hanging on the wall the artist included some diverse objects. One of the objects is a pair of fossilized shark's teeth intended to represent serpents' tongues. They were supposed to change color when put into poisoned liquids or foods. The teeth were combined with coral in decorative pieces to ward off evil.They would be an advertisement to present the secular and religious services of gold and silversmiths to the community. In addition the painting shows the raw materials and finished work of the trade. The raw materials are the coral, crystal, porphyry, seed pearls, precious stones, and beads while the finished brooches, rings, and a belt buckles represented products of the trade. Two men are reflected in the mirror on the workbench. One carries a falcon, a symbol of greed and pride. The mirror is an attribute of Superbia, referring to pride and vanity and one of the Seven Deadly Sins. An alternative view is suggested by the devout couple and the goldsmith/saint. The goldsmith has scales tipped toward the righteous, the couple, and may be indicating that the couple's virtue outweighs the vices of the men in the mirror. This painting is a masterpiece of Northern Renaissance art. After Jan van Eyck, Christus was the leading painter in Bruges, which is located in Flanders. He was born in 1410 in Baerle on the Dutch/Belgian border. Christus obtained his citizenship about three years after van Eyck's death. Scholars assume he managed van Eyck's workshop for the three years then working independently as a free citizen. As a free citizen he could be accepted in the Guild of St. Luke, also known as the corporation of image-makers. There were three ways of becoming a free citizen. He could marry a citizen of Bruges. He also could live in the city for a year and a day. Or finally, he could buy his citizen rights. According to records from the Poorterboek in the town of Bruges in 1444 he bought his citizenship for three pounds on July 6 that year. His citizenship classified him as a free citizen so he could be accepted in the Guild of St. Luke and could sell his work. In 1462-63 he and his wife became members of the Bruges Confraternity of Our Lady of the Dry Tree. Membership reflected the very high social status its artist-members had achieved. Christus was respected and served as a member of the confraternity board. Royal and upper class members included Phillip the Good and Phillip the Fair as wells as important people from other countries.