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The Madonna and Child in the central panel of the triptych from Trencsén belongs to a very popular type of devotional representation, Byzantine in origin but recomposed around 1400. The half-length portrait expresses the intimate relationship between the Virgin and Child. The latter is often shown touching his mother's face or garment or trying to snatch at her veil, or, less frequently, but as seen in this picture, reaching out for the ornamental clasp which fasten her cloak. The Virgin's crown is thrown into relief to imitate encrusted gems - a technique that bears witness to the influence of Bohemian art around 1400, while the twisted kerchief around her head and her downcast eyes point to the impact of more contemporary endeavours characteristic of Netherlandish painting. The sharp folds of the cloak indicate an origin not earlier than the middle of the fifteenth century. The finely traced long fingers of the Virgin, also the careful miniature-like elaboration of the picture, provide evidence that the panel is the excellent work of a master fifteenth century Hungarian painting.
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