Geertgen tot Sint Jans (ca. 1460-1490) is one of the most beloved Netherlandish primitive painters, noted for his charming naiveté and the purity and simplicity of his style.

The principal source of knowledge concerning Geertgen tot Sint Jans, also called Geertgen van Haarlem, is the Dutch biographer Karel van Mander, who wrote about him in 1604. According to Van Mander, Geertgen was born and lived in Haarlem and was a lay brother in the local Order of St. John as well as a pupil of Albert van Ouwater. Van Mander records that Geertgen died at the age of 28. More recent discoveries, however, suggest that he was actually born in Leiden and that he served a portion of his apprenticeship in Flanders, probably at Bruges. In any case, his paintings display a marked Flemish influence, especially from the works of Hugo van der Goes.

The earliest painting attributed to...