Johannesaltar, rechter Flügel: Hl. Martin

Burgkmair employs a refined chiaroscuro, using deep shadows to model the figures against a muted, indistinct forest backdrop. Gold leaf embellishes the saint’s robes, creating a luminous pattern that contrasts with the darker foliage. The painter’s precise line work and careful rendering of textures reflect the Northern Renaissance’s attention to detail.

Originally installed as part of the Johannesaltar in a German ecclesiastical setting, the panel survived the Reformation and later secularization of church property. It entered the Bavarian royal collection in the 19th century and was transferred to the Alte Pinakothek, where it has been displayed since the museum’s early years.

The work belongs to a period when German artists were integrating Italian compositional principles with local devotional traditions. Burgkmair, a leading figure in Augsburg, frequently collaborated with printmakers and contributed to the spread of religious imagery that combined narrative clarity with ornamental richness.