Altar of the Holy Cross from Garamszentbenedek
Before 1495
Wood, tempera, gilt
Inv. 55.78
65.5 x 45.5 cm
An inner image on one of the movable wings of the Calvary altarpiece of Garamszentbenedek. The altarpiece was part of the Late Gothic furnishings of the Benedictine abbey church of Garamszentbenedek. In 1905, its shrine was burned during the fire in the Primate’s Palace in Esztergom, with only the upper and two side slats surviving in a charred state. The shrine statues were also seriously damaged. Thanks to an archival photograph published in 1886 in Simor’s commemorative album, we are well acquainted with the altarpiece in its intact condition. The backboard of the shrine was originally adorned with gold stars (certainly on a blue ground).
The two movable wings were sawed apart in the 19th century and the panel paintings were reframed. In keeping with the dedication of the altarpiece, the depictions on the inner side showed Christ Carrying the Cross, the Descent from the Cross, the Entombment of Christ and the Resurrection, while the outer side of the wings (and the stationary wings) displayed eight scenes from the Passion. The inscription containing the date 1495, still visible on the altarpiece shrine, most likely indicates the date of completion. The style of the paintings, a significant portion of the compositional elements, their correspondence to the Schongauer prototypes and the motifs of the gold background patterns all point more strongly to the 1480s.
Provenance:
In 1883, Nándor Knauz purchased the altarpiece from the Abbey of Garamszentbenedek, where it stood in the prefect’s residential suite. The panels were acquired from Knauz for Prince Primate János Simor’s collection.
Restoration: 1941
An inner image on one of the movable wings of the Calvary altarpiece of Garamszentbenedek. The altarpiece was part of the Late Gothic furnishings of the Benedictine abbey church of Garamszentbenedek. In 1905, its shrine was burned during the fire in the Primate’s Palace in Esztergom, with only the upper and two side slats surviving in a charred state. The shrine statues were also seriously damaged. Thanks to an archival photograph published in 1886 in Simor’s commemorative album, we are well acquainted with the altarpiece in its intact condition. The backboard of the shrine was originally adorned with gold stars (certainly on a blue ground).
The two movable wings were sawed apart in the 19th century and the panel paintings were reframed. In keeping with the dedication of the altarpiece, the depictions on the inner side showed Christ Carrying the Cross, the Descent from the Cross, the Entombment of Christ and the Resurrection, while the outer side of the wings (and the stationary wings) displayed eight scenes from the Passion. The inscription containing the date 1495, still visible on the altarpiece shrine, most likely indicates the date of completion. The style of the paintings, a significant portion of the compositional elements, their correspondence to the Schongauer prototypes and the motifs of the gold background patterns all point more strongly to the 1480s.
Provenance:
In 1883, Nándor Knauz purchased the altarpiece from the Abbey of Garamszentbenedek, where it stood in the prefect’s residential suite. The panels were acquired from Knauz for Prince Primate János Simor’s collection.
Restoration: 1941
