Dirk Bouts, born about 1410 in Haarlem, moved to Louvain (Belgium) before 1448, where he died in 1475. His painting “Ecce Agnus Dei”, in which John the Baptist recognises Christ as the Lamb of God, is dated 1464.1 The description in the catalogue of the Leuven exhibition2 focuses on the many symbols in this picture (figs 1A and B):

 Christ stands bareheaded on poor soil of sand and stones. The ascetic life leads him to a higher beauty, symbolised by the presence of gems on the banks and in the river. Lying in the water they represent the purifying power of the water. In contrast, St John and the donor are situated in luxuriant pastures.

 Both riverbanks are optically connected by the tree of life. In the same way as the water of the baptism saves mankind from original sin, the leaves from the tree of life bring healing. Therefore St John not only points to Christ, but also to the tree of life and …