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Surprisingly few medieval painting have survived from the Transdanubian region (Western Hungary). We have only two wings from the church at Nagytótlak, other than the panels from Alsólendva and Németújvár, which illustrate the development of painting in south-west Hungary, although several winged altars produced in that region are mentioned in the literature.
The inner side of the wings from Nagytótlak depict scenes from the life of the Virgin. On the exterior are the figures of St. Stephen, St. Emeric, St. Ladislas and St. Nicholas. Owing to their geographic origin, the panels are in some ways related to Austrian painting, especially to the Upper Austrian works surviving from the late fifteenth century. The iconography of the Death of the Virgin, in which the kneeling figure of the Virgin Mary is surrounded only by the apostles, became generally adopted around 1500. The same composition was very popular in Austrian relief sculpture. It should therefore be borne in mind that the absence of a detailed interior is characteristic of this iconographic type and not a shortcoming in the representation. This work is distinguished by the artist's fine brush-work; his figures are simple and graceful, his colours light and bright. The fresh green tints in the background and the violet shadows in the Virgin's white cloak are particularly effective.
The scenes: Annunciation, Birth of Jesus, Adoration of the Magi, Death of Mary.
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