Movable wings of a winged altarpiece
1480-90
Pine, tempera
St. Genevieve and St. Dorothy; on the reverse: St. Sebastian. Right movable wing of a winged altarpiece
Inv. 55.79
150 x 55 cm (painted surface), 160 x 66 x 3 cm with frame
The right movable wing, showing St. Genevieve and St. Dorothy on the feast-day side and St. Sebastian on the workday side (55.79), and the left movable wing, showing St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Barbara on the feast-day side and St. Lawrence on the workday side (55.80) belonged to the same winged altarpiece. The inner, feast-day side, thus, presented the four Virgines Capitales, although the figure of St. Margaret is replaced with Genevieve, who was identified in the earlier literature as St. Bridget. On the outer side, visible when the altarpiece was closed, were the depictions of St. Leonard and St. Sebastian, with the latter saint strongly resembling Vir Dolorum depictions, although he has arrows in his right hand.
Provenance:
Ipolyi collection (’95 and 96. Altarpiece wing images on panels; the fronts are strongly abraded: St. Genevieve and St. Dorothy as well as St. Catherine and St. Barbara are full-length figures; on the versos: wounded Christ with three arrows in his hand, and on the other the abbot St. Leonard.’ (Nos. 327 and 329 in Czobor’s records).
Bibliography
Genthon-1948, 40-41. – Radocsay-1955b, 331. – Mucsi-1975 18, 76.
The right movable wing, showing St. Genevieve and St. Dorothy on the feast-day side and St. Sebastian on the workday side (55.79), and the left movable wing, showing St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Barbara on the feast-day side and St. Lawrence on the workday side (55.80) belonged to the same winged altarpiece. The inner, feast-day side, thus, presented the four Virgines Capitales, although the figure of St. Margaret is replaced with Genevieve, who was identified in the earlier literature as St. Bridget. On the outer side, visible when the altarpiece was closed, were the depictions of St. Leonard and St. Sebastian, with the latter saint strongly resembling Vir Dolorum depictions, although he has arrows in his right hand.
Provenance:
Ipolyi collection (’95 and 96. Altarpiece wing images on panels; the fronts are strongly abraded: St. Genevieve and St. Dorothy as well as St. Catherine and St. Barbara are full-length figures; on the versos: wounded Christ with three arrows in his hand, and on the other the abbot St. Leonard.’ (Nos. 327 and 329 in Czobor’s records).
Bibliography
Genthon-1948, 40-41. – Radocsay-1955b, 331. – Mucsi-1975 18, 76.







