Getty Museum

The Trinity with the Virgin, Saints John the Evangelist, Stephen and Lawrence and a Donor

Date

1479

Medium

Oil on panel

Culture

German

Department

Paintings

Institution

Getty Museum

God the Father sits enthroned, holding the crucified Christ with the Holy Spirit between them, all three dominating the composition. Together they represent the Trinity, the central doctrine of the Christian faith, in which all three are united as one. This recently discovered altarpiece was carefully designed for the kneeling donor, a cleric, and expresses his desire for penance. The donor's plea for salvation inscribed on the scroll cleverly incorporates the date "1479" in Roman numerals. Saint Stephen stands protectively over him, bearing the stones of martyrdom on his head.The expressive features, heavy drapery, and radiant palette (especially purple) resemble the sophisticated stained-glass windows attributed to Peter Hemmel von Andlau and the Strasbourg Workshop Cooperative.

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