UNKNOWN MASTER, altarpiece painter
(15th century)

Saint Martin Altarpiece (open)

1483
Wood
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

Almost all the paintings and statues from the altarpiece have survived, but the former superstructure from above the shrine is missing. It is almost certain that this upper part of the altarpiece was embellished with three carvings from Cserény which are now in the museum in Besztercebánya. The sharply carved blocklike figures from the shrine are examples of the consistent development of the mid-fifteenth century Severe Style. In this respect they are related to the carvings of the Garamszentbenedek high altar and the Lőcse altarpiece of the Man of Sorrows, also created around 1483.

The inner and outer paintings represent eight episodes from the life of St. Martin, a series obviously influenced by the Master of Jánosrét. However close the composition of these legendary scenes comes to that of the Master's work on the St. Nicholas high altar, the pictorial language is much more crude; indeed the Cserény painter's style is that of an apprentice. Yet the similarity between the two altarpieces leaves us in no doubt that they originate from the same workshop and demonstrate the close relationship between the art of the mining town and that of neighbouring Zólyom.

The height of the painted wood sculptures is 147, 135 and 147 cm, respectively. The scenes on the wings (tempera on wood) are 79,5 x 75 cm each. The predella (also tempera on wood) has the size 45,5 x 197,5 cm.


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