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This is the high altar from Csíkszentlélek. Beside the central panel representing the descent of the Holy Ghost, there are four panels on the open wings and seven other on the closed wing. In addition, a tympanum panel and the predella can also be seen.
This panel represents the awed amazement of the apostles when they are visited by the Holy Ghost. They give expression to their feelings by making startled gestures, or adopting an elated, reserved attitude. The facial expressions are highly individual, but only James standing on the extreme left has any other special distinguishing mark. It is also possible to identify Peter and John standing at the back. The Virgin is shown seated and dignified, praying amidst the apostles.
The apostles are solemn but by no means rigid; the group is characterized by bright but not glaring patches of colour. In fact the colour scheme is one of the attractive features of the panel which is rightly considered to be the most characteristic painting of the Csík region. The style, though obviously related to that of the German schools of the early sixteenth century, not so close to any one of them that the work might be attributed to a German artist or an artist trained in Germany. The enrichment of the traditional formal idiom with certain contemporary solutions demonstrates the independence of Csík painting. The altar - like the local school as a whole - is basically conservative; this may be seen in the arrangement of the planes, the detailed drawing and the important part played by the contour lines. The modern solutions came partly from the Danube School, but they are to be seen only in the carriage and beards of some of the figures. (The snowcovered mountain peaks in the Passion scenes on the wings are generally attributed to local influences. This may be right, but the example was surely set by the Danube School which took so much delight in representing peaks reaching to the skies).
The size of the central panel is 170 x 134 cm, the wings are of 82 x 60,5 cm, while the predella of 38 x 210 cm, and the tympanum panel of 82 x 74 cm size.
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