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44-638: The Isenheim Altarpiece , currently on display at the Unterlinden Museum of Colmar , was completed in 1515 by Matthias Grünewald for the Antonines monastery in Issenheim. Among his many other titles , Prince Albert II of Monaco is ceremonially styled as " Seigneur of Issenheim". This Haut-Rhin geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Isenheim Altarpiece The Isenheim Altarpiece

88-589: A city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth

132-733: A large piece of white cloth. Also at Christ's right is Mary Magdalene , kneeling with hands clasped in prayer. At Christ's left, John the Baptist is accompanied by a lamb, symbolising the sacrifice of Jesus. The presence of John the Baptist is anachronistic. Beheaded by order of Herod in 29 AD, he could not possibly have witnessed the death of Christ. This last figure announces the New Testament by crying out in Latin , illum oportet crescere me autem minui ( Vulgate , John 3:30 ), "He must increase, but I must decrease." The inclusion of John

176-589: A son, and shalt call his name Jesus . He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and

220-774: Is a key topic in Christian art in general, as well as in Marian art in the Catholic Church , having been especially prominent during the Middle Ages and Renaissance . A work of art depicting the Annunciation is sometimes itself called an Annunciation . The Gospel of Luke recounts the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary: And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto

264-542: Is a different version contained in the apocryphal Gospel of James , which includes a first appearance of the archangel at the well. Manuscript 4Q246 of the Dead Sea Scrolls reads: [X] shall be great upon the earth. O king, all people shall make peace, and all shall serve him. He shall be called the son of the Great God, and by his name shall he be hailed as the Son of God, and they shall call him Son of

308-654: Is also used to represent the perpetual virginity of Mary via the announcement by the angel Gabriel that Mary would conceive a child to be born the Son of God . Works on the subject have been created by artists such as Sandro Botticelli , Leonardo da Vinci , Caravaggio , Duccio , Henry Ossawa Tanner , Jan van Eyck , and Murillo among others. The mosaics of Pietro Cavallini in Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome (1291),

352-650: Is an altarpiece sculpted and painted by, respectively, the Germans Nikolaus of Haguenau and Matthias Grünewald in 1512–1516. It is on display at the Unterlinden Museum at Colmar , Alsace , in France . It is Grünewald's largest work and is regarded as his masterpiece. It was painted for the Monastery of St. Anthony in Issenheim near Colmar, which specialized in hospital work. The Antonine monks of

396-662: Is celebrated jointly with the Resurrection, which is the focus of Easter. Due to these and similar rules, the rubrics surrounding the celebration of the feast are the most complex of all in Orthodox Christian liturgics. Ephraim the Syrian taught that the date of the conception of Jesus Christ fell on 10 Nisan on the Hebrew calendar , the day in which the passover lamb was selected according to Exodus 12 (Hymn 4 on

440-524: Is that given to Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew : But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus : for he shall save his people from their sins. There

484-594: Is the beginning of our salvation, And the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos : "Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!" As the action initiating the Incarnation of Christ , the Annunciation has such an important place in Orthodox Christian theology that

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528-540: The Catholic Church , Anglican and Lutheran liturgical calendars when that date falls during Holy Week or Easter Week or on a Sunday. When the calendar system of Anno Domini was first introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525, he assigned the beginning of the new year to 25 March since, according to Christian theology, the era of grace began with the Incarnation of Christ . The first certain mentions of

572-546: The Christian Messiah and Son of God , marking the Incarnation . According to Luke 1:26 the Annunciation occurred in the sixth month of Elizabeth 's pregnancy with John the Baptist . Many Christians observe this event with the Feast of the Annunciation on 25   March, an approximation of the northern vernal equinox nine full months before Christmas , the traditional birthday of Jesus. The Annunciation

616-480: The Latin annuntiatio ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; Ancient Greek : Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke , the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son through a virgin birth and become the mother of Jesus Christ ,

660-582: The Nativity of Christ , a scene not included here. The altarpiece's location in Alsace has meant that, in recent times, control of the work has alternated between Germany and France according to the fortunes of war. Following the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 and the passing of control to Germany, German writers developed the concept that the altarpiece somehow represented the essential character of

704-577: The frescos of Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (1303), Domenico Ghirlandaio 's fresco at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence (1486), and Donatello 's gilded sculpture at the church of Santa Croce, Florence (1435) are famous examples. Hans Leo Hassler composed a motet Dixit Maria , setting Mary's consent. Johann Sebastian Bach and others composed cantatas for

748-628: The polychrome wood restoration workshop in Paris of the Center for Research and Restoration of Museums of France by a team of sculpture restorers led by Juliette Levy. A study had been conducted by the Research Centre of the Musées de France in 2014 when they determined the state of the altarpiece and established the protocol for its restoration. Annunciation The Annunciation (from

792-517: The 4th century. It has been a favorite artistic subject in both the Christian East and as Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance , and figures in the repertoire of almost all of the great masters. The figures of the virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel, being emblematic of purity and grace, were favorite subjects of Roman Catholic Marian art, where the scene

836-788: The Altarpiece of the Dominicans (c. 1480) and the Virgin of the Rose Bush (1473). The altarpiece depicting Saint Catherine and Saint Lawrence (c. 1510) and sculptures from the Late Middle Ages rounded out the presentation. In mid-2022, the altarpiece was re-shown at the Unterlinden Museum after it underwent cleaning and restoration by a team of restorers led by Anthony Pontabry. Haguenau's sculptures were restored in

880-553: The Altarpiece, is depicted kneeling at the feet of Saint Augustine. – Visit of Saint Anthony to Saint Paul the Hermit . The two hermits meet in a stunning landscape, intended to represent the Theban Desert. Grünewald created a fantastic universe, surrounding the date palm with a strange mixture of vegetation, in marked contrast with the calmness and tranquillity of the encounter, in which the animals in attendance take part, with

924-492: The Annunciation occurred in Mary's home, while Eastern Orthodox tradition holds that it occurred at the town well, known as Mary's Well . The Basilica of the Annunciation marks the site preferred by the former, while the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation (around half a mile away) marks that preferred by the latter. The Feast of the Annunciation is usually held on 25 March. It is often translated in

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968-725: The Baptist in this scene is symbolic, since he is considered as the last of the prophets to announce the coming of the Messiah. Outer wings opened: The outer wings of the Isenheim Altarpiece were opened for important festivals of the liturgical year, particularly those in honour of the Virgin Mary. Thus are revealed four scenes: the left wing represents the Annunciation during which the archangel Gabriel comes to announce to Mary that she will give birth to Jesus,

1012-522: The Feast of the Annunciation is one of the twelve " Great Feasts " of the liturgical year , and is among the eight of them that are counted as "feasts of the Lord". Throughout the Orthodox Church, the feast is celebrated on 25 March. In the churches that use the new style Calendar ( Revised Julian or Gregorian ), this date coincides with 25 March on the civil calendar, while in those churches using

1056-637: The German nation. The work subsequently became an object of extraordinary scenes of veneration in Munich during its temporary relocation there during the First World War, and again when Alsace passed back into French hands at the end of the War. In the immediate postwar period the altarpiece, with its strong overtones of violent sensation and emotion, became a natural source of inspiration for many painters in

1100-654: The Most High. It has been suggested that the similarity in content is such that Luke's version may in some way be dependent on the Qumran text. The Annunciation is described in the Quran , Surah Maryam , verses 19:16–26 . Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches hold that the Annunciation took place at Nazareth , but differ slightly as to the precise location. Roman Catholic tradition holds that

1144-565: The Nativity). Some years 10 Nisan falls on 25 March, which is the traditional date for the Feast of the Annunciation and is an official holiday in Lebanon . The Annunciation has been one of the most frequent subjects of Christian art . Depictions of the Annunciation go back to early Christianity, with the Priscilla catacomb including the oldest known fresco of the Annunciation, dating to

1188-491: The Saviour, whose pain they shared. "Grünewald depicts Jesus' body ravaged by crucifixion yet evokes pointedly the Christian message of Jesus' horrible suffering; originally intended for a hospital, the altar painting may have been designed to provide comfort and solace to the sick." Mary, the mother of Jesus , is shown at Christ's right, collapsing in anguish in the arms of John, the beloved disciple of Christ , and shrouded in

1232-504: The angel departed from her. Various Bible translations also give Gabriel's salutation as a variation on: "Hail, full of grace" ( Luke 1:28 , DRV ). In this variation, commonly used by Roman Catholics, the archangel Gabriel 's greeting to Mary forms the first part of the prayer Hail Mary . Mary's response to the archangel also forms the second versicle and response of the Angelus prayer. A separate, briefer and different annunciation

1276-684: The countenance of the Crucified into the face of God. The Resurrection and the Ascension are therefore encapsulated in a single image. Inner wings opened: – The sculptures of Saint Augustine and Guy Guers, Saint Anthony, Two Bearers of Offerings, Saint Jerome , Christ and the Twelve Apostles are by Niclaus of Haguenau. With its inner wings open, the altarpiece allowed pilgrims and the afflicted to venerate Saint Anthony, protector and healer of Saint Anthony's fire. Saint Anthony occupies

1320-466: The crow bringing two morsels of bread to the two recluses. In this dreamlike scene, medicinal plants, painted in naturalistic fashion, sprout at the feet of the two main figures. – Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons . This panel depicts Saint Anthony being tormented by monstrous creatures sent by Satan . Trampled to the ground, beaten with sticks, torn by claws and bitten, Saint Anthony appeals to God for help who sends angels to combat these evil demons. In

1364-471: The enclosed garden represents Mary's womb and is a sign of her perpetual virginity, the rose bush without thorns refers to her as free of original sin, the fig tree symbolises mother's milk. The bed, the bucket and the chamber pot underscore the human nature of Christ. Lastly, the right wing shows the Resurrection , in which Christ emerges from the tomb and ascends into Heaven bathed in light transfiguring

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1408-499: The exception of certain holy days, the wings of the altarpiece were kept closed, displaying The Crucifixion framed on the left by the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian pierced by arrows and on the right by Saint Anthony the Great , who remains placid even while being taunted by a frightening monster. The two saints protect and heal the sick, Saint Anthony as the patron saint of the victims of Saint Anthony's fire, and Saint Sebastian, whose aid

1452-596: The feast are in a canon of the 656 Council of Toledo , where it is described as celebrated throughout the Church. The 692 Council of Constantinople " in Trullo " forbade observance of any festivals during Lent , excepting Sunday and the Annunciation. An earlier origin had been claimed for it on the grounds that it appeared in manuscripts of the sermons of Athanasius and Gregory Thaumaturgus but they were subsequently discovered to be spurious. Along with Easter, 25 March

1496-431: The festal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is always celebrated on the feast, even if it falls on Great and Holy Friday , the day when the crucifixion of Jesus is remembered. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated on Great and Holy Friday only when the latter coincides with the feast of the Annunciation. If the Annunciation falls on Pascha (Easter Sunday) itself, a coincidence which is called Kyriopascha , then it

1540-659: The former convent and until April 2015, the Isenheim Altarpiece was on view in the local Dominican Church, located about 200 metres from the Unterlinden Museum . This temporary transfer offered an exceptional and unprecedented opportunity to present, alongside Grünewald and Haguenau's monumental masterwork, all three painted works by the Colmar native Martin Schongauer held in Colmar: the Orlier Altarpiece (1470–1475),

1584-533: The influential Expressionist school, such as George Grosz and Otto Dix . It also provided the basis for Paul Hindemith 's modernist opera Mathis der Maler . In the later 1930s, it appears to have suffered a temporary decline in official esteem in Germany as a result of the National Socialists’ branding of both Expressionism and of Hindemith's work as "degenerate". Due to renovation work in

1628-420: The lower left corner, the being with webbed feet and a distended belly seems to personify the disease caused by ergot poisoning, resulting in swelling and ulcerous growths. The iconography of the altarpiece has several unusual elements derived from closely following the accounts left by Saint Bridget of Sweden of her mystical visions. These had long had a significant influence on art, especially on depictions of

1672-468: The monastery were noted for their care of plague sufferers as well as for their treatment of skin diseases, such as ergotism . The image of the crucified Christ is pitted with plague-type sores, showing patients that Jesus understood and shared their afflictions. The veracity of the work's depictions of medical conditions was unusual in the history of European art. The altarpiece has two sets of wings, displaying three configurations: Wings closed: With

1716-460: The old style Julian calendar , 25 March is reckoned to fall on 7 April on the civil calendar, and will fall on 8 April starting in the year 2100. Greek Independence Day is celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation and 25 March is also a national holiday in the Lebanon. The traditional hymn ( troparion ) for the feast of the Annunciation goes back to Athanasius of Alexandria . It runs: Today

1760-579: The place of honour at the centre of the corpus and at his side a pig is depicted, the emblem of the Antonite order. On his left and right, two bearers of offerings illustrate these contributions in kind, an important source of income for the Antonites. This central section is framed by Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome, two of the four great fathers of the Latin Church. Guy Guyers, who had commissioned

1804-523: The power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And

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1848-595: The son of God. The Virgin Mary is depicted in a chapel to indicate the sacred character of the event. In the central corpus, the Concert of Angels and the Nativity are not independent scenes but instead fit within a unified concept: the viewer witnesses Christ's coming to earth as a newborn baby, who will be led to combat the forces of evil personified by certain of the angels, disturbing in their physical appearance. A number of symbols provide keys to aid in interpretation:

1892-401: Was historically used as the New Year's Day in many Christian countries. The holiday was moved to January 1 in France by Charles IX 's 1564 Edict of Roussillon . In England , the feast of the Annunciation came to be known as Lady Day , and Lady Day marked the beginning of the English new year until 1752. In the Eastern Orthodox , Eastern Catholic , and Oriental Orthodox Churches,

1936-483: Was invoked to ward off the plague. Grünewald's Crucifixion stands as one of the most poignant representations of this scene in Western art, due to the artist's masterful depiction of horrific agony, with Christ's emaciated body writhing under the pain of the nails driven through his hands and feet. This body covered with sores and riddled with thorns must have terrified the sick, but it also left no doubt about Christ's suffering, thus comforting them in their communion with

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