Artwork
Flügel eines Altares: Die hl. Margarethe (Martha?) Rückseite: Hl. Afra
Flügel eines Altares: Die hl. Margarethe (Martha?) Rückseite: Hl. Afra is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Bartholomäus Zeitblom. It dates from 1502 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Created in 1502, this panel forms one wing of a larger religious altarpiece.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1502, this panel forms one wing of a larger religious altarpiece. Executed by Bartholomäus Zeitblom, a leading painter of the Ulm school, the work now belongs to the collection of the Alte Pinakothek. It presents a solitary female saint against a gold field, embodying the devotional focus of early‑16th‑century German art.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is identified as Saint Margaret—sometimes associated with the name Martha—holding a golden object that alludes to her legendary attribute. A secondary panel on the reverse depicts Saint Afra, linking the two saints within a shared liturgical program.
Technique & Style
Zeitblom employs the meticulous detailing typical of the Northern Renaissance, rendering the red cloak, white head covering, and dark green dress with precise brushwork. The gold background, rendered in flat pigment, creates a luminous contrast that enhances the sense of material richness and spatial depth.
History & Provenance
Documented in Ulm from 1482 to 1518, Zeitblom contributed extensively to the city’s artistic output during the late Gothic to early Renaissance transition. The panel entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in the 19th century, where it has been conserved as part of the museum’s German Renaissance collection.
Context
The work reflects the Ulm school’s synthesis of local Gothic traditions with emerging Renaissance influences, emphasizing devotional clarity and narrative detail. As part of an altarpiece, the panel would have functioned within a liturgical setting, guiding worshippers’ contemplation of saintly exemplars.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartholomäus Zeitblom (c. 1450 – c. 1519) was a German painter, the chief master of the school of Ulm, where he is on official record from 1482 to 1518.
