Artwork
St. Sebastian Altar: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Sebastian Altar: St. Elizabeth of Hungary is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hans Holbein the Elder. It dates from 1516 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1516, the panel painting by Hans Holbein the Elder portrays Saint Elizabeth of Hungary in a devotional setting. Executed on a lime wood surface, the work is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s collection and reflects the Northern Renaissance’s interest in detailed narrative and religious subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman dressed in red and pink garments, crowned and veiled, holding a silver pitcher and bowl—attributes linked to Elizabeth’s charitable acts. She is shown looking down at two kneeling figures, an older bearded man and a young boy, emphasizing her role as a benefactress and intercessor.
Technique & Style
Holbein employs precise linear modeling and rich coloration typical of early German Renaissance painting. The fine rendering of textiles, metal objects, and the cityscape background demonstrates his skill in creating realistic textures on a wooden panel, while the gold frame bears an inscription identifying the saint.
History & Provenance
The work has remained in the German museum tradition, eventually entering the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings. Holbein the Elder, a prominent figure in Augsburg’s artistic circles, was the patriarch of a family of painters that included his sons Ambrosius and Hans the Younger, who continued the workshop’s legacy.
Context
Depicting Saint Elizabeth of Hungary aligns with the period’s emphasis on saints who embodied Christian charity. The inclusion of a domestic scene with the saint serving food reflects contemporary devotional practices that encouraged personal identification with the saint’s acts of mercy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Holbein the Elder (c. 1460/65 – 1524) was a German painter of the early German Renaissance. He was the father of painters Ambrosius and Hans the Younger.
