Artwork

Altärchen mit Ikone und Darstellung der Sieben Freuden und Schmerzen Mariens

Altärchen mit Ikone und Darstellung der Sieben Freuden und Schmerzen Mariens is an unspecified painting by the High Renaissance artist Unknown. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. The work is a painted wooden altar panel divided into three registers.

About this work

Overview

The work is a painted wooden altar panel divided into three registers. The central register presents a solemn figure of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ, both cloaked in dark garments against a muted background. Flanking the central scene are two smaller registers that depict groups of robed figures, some standing, others kneeling, arranged in narrative vignettes.

Subject & Meaning

The central image conveys the theological theme of the Virgin’s sorrow and joy, a common motif in medieval devotion. The surrounding scenes illustrate the Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows of Mary, offering a visual meditation on her emotional journey from the Annunciation through the Crucifixion.

Technique & Style

Executed in tempera on a wooden panel, the painting employs a restrained chiaroscuro that models the figures with subtle light against a dark ground. The carving along the panel’s edges provides a simple ornamental frame, while the inscription in Latin beneath the scenes reinforces its liturgical function.

History & Provenance

The altar panel originates from a Central European workshop of the late medieval period, likely intended for a small church or private chapel. Its provenance traces through several ecclesiastical collections before entering a museum inventory in the early twentieth century, where it has been conserved as an example of devotional panel painting.