Artwork
Altar of the Cross: The hinds finds the cross, Excavation of the cross (interior)
Altar of the Cross: The hinds finds the cross, Excavation of the cross (interior) is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Polling Panels. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1450 by the anonymous Master of the Polling Panels, this panel painting—titled Altar of the Cross: The Hinds Finds the Cross, Excavation of the Cross (interior)—is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s collection. The work is divided into two registers, each depicting a distinct narrative scene within a richly detailed woodland setting.
Subject & Meaning
The upper register portrays a hunter in a grey coat, his gaze fixed on a white dog that is nosing a brown deer, suggesting a moment of pursuit or discovery. Below, a group clothed in red and white gathers around a brown wooden cross, with one figure wielding a shovel, evoking themes of excavation and religious revelation.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera on panel, the painting displays meticulous attention to foliage, with densely rendered trees and shrubs that frame the figures. The costumes reflect late medieval attire, and the composition balances narrative clarity with ornamental detail, characteristic of Northern European devotional art of the mid‑15th century.
History & Provenance
The work has been in the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings since the museum’s early acquisitions, representing a rare example of the Master of the Polling Panels’ religious oeuvre. Its provenance prior to museum ownership remains undocumented, typical of many anonymous works from this period.
Context
The dual scenes combine a hunting motif with a Christian symbol, a visual strategy common in late medieval art to link earthly pursuits with spiritual quests. The depiction of a cross being uncovered may reference the discovery of the True Cross, a popular medieval legend.
Artist & collection
Altar of Mary: Annunciation to Mary
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Prince Tassilo Rides to Hunting
Kreuzaltar, Flügelaußenseite: Kaiserin Helena findet das wahre Kreuz Christi und Erprobung des Kreuzes
Altar of Mary: Adoration of the Magi
Adoration of the child
