Artwork
Teile eines Altares: Hl. Anna Selbdritt
Teile eines Altares: Hl. Anna Selbdritt is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hans Fries. It dates from 1501 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Created in 1501, this panel forms part of a larger altarpiece and presents a devotional image typical of the Northern Renaissance.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1501, this panel forms part of a larger altarpiece and presents a devotional image typical of the Northern Renaissance. The composition centers on Saint Anne together with the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ, arranged in a close, intimate grouping that invites contemplation.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates the traditional "Anna Selbdritt" motif, where Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin, is shown alongside her daughter and grandson. The serene expressions and gentle gestures underscore themes of familial piety and the continuity of salvation history, emphasizing the holy lineage from Anne to Christ.
Technique & Style
Fries employs a restrained palette dominated by deep, muted tones that set the figures against a shadowy backdrop. The foreground figures are rendered with careful modeling, their faces calm and softly illuminated. A modest window opens onto a distant landscape of hills and trees, providing a subtle spatial depth.
History & Provenance
Swiss artist Hans Fries, born circa 1465 in Fribourg, painted the panel after training with Heinrich Bichler in Bern. He later returned to his native city, serving as its official painter and councilman. The piece entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains on display.
Context
Produced shortly before the Reformation, the painting reflects the devotional practices of late medieval Switzerland, where altarpieces served both liturgical and instructional functions. Fries’s work aligns with contemporary Northern Renaissance trends, combining detailed figure work with a modest, atmospheric setting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Fries (c. 1465 – c. 1523) was a Swiss painter before the Reformation. Fries was born in Fribourg, the son of a baker, and studied with the Bernese painter Heinrich Bichler. After a stay in Basel in the year…
Maria mit Kind
Madonna and Child with St. Anne.
Saint Anne Enthroned with the Virgin and Child
Mary enthroned with the Christ child
Virgin and Child
Maria mit Kind in einem steinernen Tabernakel
Virgin at prayer
Madonna and Child
Virgin and Child with Two Angels in a Landscape
Darbringung im Tempel
Maria met kind voor een borstwering met doorzicht naar een heuvellandschap