Artwork
Last Judgement: Saint John the Baptist with six apostles
Last Judgement: Saint John the Baptist with six apostles is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Colijn de Coter. It dates from 1509 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The specific grouping of these holy figures underscores their collective authority and role within the broader theological framework of salvation and judgment.
This panel functions as a component of a larger altarpiece dedicated to the Last Judgement, created by Colijn de Coter. The work depicts Saint John the Baptist alongside six apostles, figures central to Christian eschatology and the narrative of final divine assessment. As a piece of religious art, the imagery serves to visualize the solemnity of the end times, with the Baptist traditionally acting as a herald and the apostles serving as judges or witnesses in the celestial court.
The specific grouping of these holy figures underscores their collective authority and role within the broader theological framework of salvation and judgment.
Technique & Style
Created in 1509, Last Judgement: Saint John the Baptist with six apostles is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel support. The work measures 130.2 cm in height and 57.2 cm in width. As part of Colijn de Coter's larger Last Judgement altarpiece, the piece employs traditional oil paint techniques characteristic of early 16th-century religious art.
The painting depicts John the Baptist alongside six apostles, adhering to the religious genre conventions of the period. It is currently held within the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
History & Provenance
Created in 1509 by Colijn de Coter, this oil painting on panel originally formed part of a larger altarpiece depicting the Last Judgement. The work's documented ownership begins with the collectors Melchior Boisserée and Sulpiz Boisserée. It was subsequently acquired by Ludwig I of Bavaria, entering the holdings of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
Today, the panel is housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and remains under the stewardship of the Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds.
The work is held in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and bears the inventory number 2666. The painting entered the collection through the Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds, having previously belonged to Melchior Boisserée and Sulpiz Boisserée.
It was displayed in the 1854 exhibition of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, marking its first recorded public showing.
Exhibition history includes the 1854 Munich Academy exhibition and a 1937 showing at the Munich Glaspalast during the German Art Exhibition.
Context
Colijn de Coter painted this religious panel in 1509 for the Last Judgement altarpiece, now housed in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. The work depicts John the Baptist accompanied by six apostles and reflects the devotional emphasis of early sixteenth-century Netherlandish art. Scholarship situates it within the broader context of Colijn de Coter's output for the Boisserée family and Bavarian patrons, illustrating the transmission of religious imagery through private collections.
Its inclusion in Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds holdings underscores its integration into the Bavarian State Painting Collections, marking its enduring significance in art historical narratives of the period.
Overview
Colijn de Coter, an early Netherlandish painter active in Brussels, completed the oil painting Last Judgement: Saint John the Baptist with six apostles in 1509. The work, now part of the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings, presents a compact group of religious figures against a muted, cloud‑filled sky, emphasizing a central, illuminated figure.
Artist & collection
Artist
Colijn de Coter (c. 1440–1445 – c. 1522–1532) was an early Netherlandish painter who produced mainly altarpieces. He worked primarily in Brussels and Antwerp. His name was sometimes given as Colijn van Brusele (Colijn…
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