Isenheim Altarpiece (Second View) - Matthias Grünewald

The second view of the Isenheim Altarpiece, featuring carved saints by Nikolaus Hagenauer and painted panels by Matthias Grünewald.

This image displays the second opening of the Isenheim Altarpiece, a masterwork created for the monastery of St. Anthony in Isenheim. The structure combines painted panels by Matthias Grünewald with carved wooden figures attributed to the sculptor Nikolaus Hagenauer. The central section features gilded carvings of St. Augustine, St. Anthony, and St. Jerome, with a predella below depicting Christ and the twelve Apostles.

Flanking the central sculpture are two distinct painted panels. On the left, St. Anthony visits St. Paul the Hermit in the desert. The scene captures a moment of quiet exchange between the two figures, set against a rocky, barren terrain. The right panel presents the Temptation of St. Anthony, a chaotic and visceral depiction of the saint beset by grotesque, demonic creatures. This contrast between the serene meeting of the hermits and the violent struggle against spiritual corruption demonstrates the expressive range of Northern Renaissance art.

Grünewald employs a sharp, dramatic colour palette to define the emotional weight of each scene. The figures are rendered with a focus on psychological intensity rather than classical proportion. The carved central section provides a structural anchor, its gold finish catching light to contrast with the deep, shadowed tones of the painted wings. This altarpiece was designed for the hospital chapel of the Antonine monks, where its imagery of suffering and spiritual endurance offered comfort to patients afflicted by ergotism. The work remains a primary example of the emotive power found in German religious art of the early sixteenth century, prioritising spiritual narrative over formal balance.