Master of Sorpe

This 12th-century artist painted scenes from the life of Christ in carved oak panels. Their only surviving work, the Annunciation, Birth and Crucifixion from Sorpe, shows three biblical stories stacked in one tall frame. The figures look flat and stylized, like figures in a holy book. Take a closer look at the way the figures stand—tall, straight, and slightly tilted forward, like characters in a church play.