Hugo van der Goes (about 1435 – 1482) was a famous painter of the late 15th century He was probably born in Ghent, Belgium. He painted altarpieces and portraits. He painted his masterpiece, the "Portinari Tryptich" for a church in Florence. The painting shows the "Adoration of the Shepherds", a story from the Gospel of Luke about the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus on the night he was born. The painting influenced other artists of the Italian Renaissance because of its realistic style. 