An altarpiece from Brixen

Carved, painted and gilded limewood and pine altarpiece, by Ruprecht Potsch and Philipp Diemer, Bressanone, Italy, 1500-10. Museum no. 192-1866

According to local tradition, this altarpiece came from the church of St Andrew in Klausen near Brixen (now Bressanone, Italy). The church was rebuilt and extended between 1482 and 1498, and in 1506 Ruprecht Potsch and Philipp Diemer were commissioned to provide the high altarpiece. The altarpiece would fit into the choir of St Andrew's church but there is no documentary evidence that it came from Klausen. Significantly, St Andrew, the patron saint of the church, is not included in the iconographical scheme.

The piece is dominated by the figure of the seated Virgin Mary on a bench surrounded by five angels, her hands in prayer, with the naked Christ Child in her lap on a cushion. The Virgin Mary was one of the most important religious figures of the medieval Christianity. She was widely and deeply venerated not only as the mother of Christ, but also as an intercessor; a conduit between Man and God, supporting human prayer and petitions.

You can listen to a description of the altarpiece using the audio bar below. If you then click on the main image you can view a large version of the altarpiece while listening to the description.

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Transcript repeated from main page:

Female Narrator:

This is known as the Brixen Altarpiece. According to local tradition it once stood in the Church of St Andrew in Klausen near Brixen, a part of the Tyrol that's now in Italy. It was made around 1500-1510. It consists of a main body containing a painted and gilded sculpture of the Virgin and Child flanked by two saints. The body has two side wings, each with two smaller reliefs depicting scenes from Christ's childhood. The whole structure measures four metres, or 13 feet, tall by four and a half metres, or 15 feet, wide.

In the middle of the central corpus the Virgin sits with the naked Christ Child on her lap. Her hands are clasped in prayer. Her face is calm, painted in pale pink tones with rosy cheeks. The Child lies on a tasselled white cushion decorated with red threads.

On the left is a large carved statue of St Florian, a saint who was invoked to protect against fire. He wears armour and a gilded cloak with a green lining is draped around his waist. The fingers of St Florian's blue-veined right hand are curled to hold a bucket of water, now missing. At his feet is a tiny carving of a fortified town with its white painted gatehouse ablaze.

To the right of the Virgin is a carved statue of St John the Baptist. He wears a tunic of animal skin and his bare right arm, with a network of raised blue veins, supports a lamb seated on a book.

The side wing on the left shows a painted and gilded relief of the Annunciation with the Virgin turning her head towards the approaching angel. Beneath this is the Presentation in the Temple. The High Priest presents the infant Christ on an altar while the Virgin, Joseph, a maidservant and an attending priest look on.

On the right wing is the Nativity. The Virgin looks down at the infant Christ in a cradle. Two angels kneel at his head. Behind the Virgin is Joseph, as well as a shepherd, an ox and an ass. The last panel depicts the Adoration of the Kings. The eldest, grey-bearded king kneels to present his gift to the Child seated on the Virgin's knee while his two companions stand waiting. The second king is a brown-haired man. The third is black and wears a turban and a gilded short tunic with long, drooping sleeves. The depiction of the kings as the Three Ages of Man, or representing the three known continents of Europe, Africa and Asia, symbolised that Jesus Christ's teachings were for all of humanity.

The predella beneath the main part of the altarpiece consists of four panels painted with pictures of female saints. From left to right they are St Barbara, holding a golden chalice; St Dorothy reaching for a rose from a basket held by the Christ Child; St Catherine, with the broken wheel of her martyrdom lying at her feet; and St Margaret of Antioch, holding a brown dog-sized dragon on a gold chain.

Supported by The BAND Trust.

Ave Maris Stella

Ave Maris Stella (Hail, Star of the Ocean) is a plainchant hymn in Latin in praise of the meek and chaste Virgin, asking her to set humankind free from sin and convey prayers to Christ. The prayer is one of the traditional hymns in the Catholic liturgy and was extremely popular during the medieval period, when the cult of the Virgin Mary was at its height. The hymn was designated as suitable for use in many different services, such as the daily service of Vespers, as well as for feasts such as the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The recording you can hear in the audio was made by the Royal College of Music especially for the Medieval & Renaissance Galleries thanks to an award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Download: mp3 | ogg View transcript

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