The National Gallery in London has announced the acquisition of a captivating early 16th-century Northern Renaissance altarpiece, The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret and Two Angels, for £16.4 million (approximately $20 million). This significant addition to the gallery's collection was facilitated through a private treaty sale brokered by Sotheby’s, with generous support from the American Friends of the National Gallery London.

Painted circa 1510, the altarpiece presents a richly detailed scene featuring the Virgin Mary and Child, flanked by Saints Louis and Margaret, and accompanied by two angels engaged in musical performance. Noteworthy elements include a drooling dragon subdued beneath Saint Margaret's feet and a playful depiction of a child exposing his behind on a column capital—details that suggest the artist possessed both technical mastery and a sense of humor.

Despite its artistic significance, the creator of the altarpiece remains unidentified. Scholars have proposed various attributions, including Jan Gossaert and Jean Hey, yet consensus has not been reached. Dendrochronological analysis indicates that the oak panel used for the painting was felled around 1483, supporting a creation date in the early 16th century

The painting's provenance traces back to the priory of Drongen in Ghent, where it was documented in 1602. It later became part of the collection of British collector Henry Blundell and was most recently held at the Lulworth Estate in Dorset before its acquisition by the National Gallery.

This acquisition coincides with the National Gallery's bicentenary celebrations and the reopening of its renovated Sainsbury Wing. The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret and Two Angels will be on public display starting May 10, 2025, as part of the gallery's rehang of its collection.

Emma Capron, curator of Early Netherlandish and German paintings at the National Gallery, remarked, "This altarpiece is the work of a talented and highly original artist, and I hope that ... ’s public display will help solve this ... ".

The acquisition underscores the National Gallery's commitment to enriching its collection with works of exceptional quality, even when the artist's identity remains a mystery.