The collection of the Kunstmuseum Basel contains two small works by the 15th-century Dutch master Gerard David. Initially, they were a folding diptych created for a private person. The first picture depicts the Madonna and Child surrounded by musical angels. The second, in fact, considered, represents the scene of the farewell of Christ with the Mother of God.

The artist, unlike many of his colleagues, paints a private scene, a dialogue between a son and mother, hidden from prying eyes by a conditional golden curtain. With a gesture of blessing, Jesus tries to calm his deathly pale, weeping Mother, who folded her hands in prayer. The unusual choice of plot, the brevity of the images and the intimacy of the work were probably dictated by the desire of the customer, who had lost one of the children. The work of Gerard David attracts with exquisite combinations of dark, rich tones of the clothes of the characters, contrasting with the precious golden background.