Artwork
Rinck-Altar II:Saint Catherine with donor Hermann Rinck
Rinck-Altar II:Saint Catherine with donor Hermann Rinck is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Technique & Style
It depicts Saint Catherine accompanied by the donor Hermann Rinck, rendered with the characteristic clarity and detail of Northern Renaissance portraiture.
The work is an oil painting executed on wood panel, measuring 76.4 cm in height and 25.8 cm in width. It depicts Saint Catherine accompanied by the donor Hermann Rinck, rendered with the characteristic clarity and detail of Northern Renaissance portraiture. The composition emphasizes the figures against a muted background, reflecting the stylistic conventions of early‑16th‑century German religious art.
History & Provenance
The altarpiece was commissioned by the merchant Hermann Rinck for his personal devotional use. It was created in 1550 by Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder for the Bavarian State Painting Collections, which continues to own and exhibit the work at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The painting has remained in the museum's collection since its acquisition, maintaining its original religious function within the institution's holdings.
The painting is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. According to the Wikidata record, the panel measures 76.4 cm in height and 25.8 cm in width, and was produced in 1550 by Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder. No accession number or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Context
Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder painted this religious work in 1550 for the donor Hermann Rinck, depicting Saint Catherine alongside him. It belongs to the Northern Renaissance tradition of donor portraits within sacred scenes, reflecting contemporary devotional practices in German territories. The composition exemplifies the period's blend of narrative clarity and intricate detail characteristic of religious art in the 16th century.
Overview
Created circa 1550 by Bartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder, a Cologne‑based painter of the German Renaissance, this panel forms part of the Rinck Altar series. It is presently conserved in the Alte Pinakothek and exemplifies Bruyn’s work for ecclesiastical commissions, combining portraiture with devotional imagery.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is Saint Catherine of Alexandria, identifiable by her coronet, the spiked wheel and the sword she holds, attributes linked to her martyrdom. At her feet kneels a man in dark attire, the donor Hermann Rinck, whose inclusion reflects the common practice of patrons being depicted in prayerful posture before a saint.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartholomäus Bruyn (1493–1555), usually called Barthel Bruyn or Barthel Bruyn the Elder, was a German Renaissance painter active in Cologne. He painted altarpieces and portraits, and was Cologne's foremost portrait painter of his day.
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