Artwork
St. Sebastian Altar: St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Sebastian Altar: St. Elizabeth of Hungary is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hans Holbein the Elder. It dates from 1516 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The right wing of a triptych portrays Saint Elizabeth of Hungary alongside the Virgin Mary, rendered in lime on panel by Hans Holbein the Elder in 1516.
The right wing of a triptych portrays Saint Elizabeth of Hungary alongside the Virgin Mary, rendered in lime on panel by Hans Holbein the Elder in 1516. The composition emphasizes Elizabeth's charitable role through her regal attire and the symbolic inclusion of Mary, reinforcing themes of piety and divine intercession within a sacred setting. The work belongs to the religious genre and reflects the devotional practices of early 16th-century Bavaria, where such altarpieces served both artistic and liturgical functions.
The depiction aligns with established iconography of Elizabeth as a noblewoman distributing alms, a motif tied to her historical reputation for charity. Her presence alongside Mary underscores theological connections to motherhood and compassion, central to late medieval Marian devotion. The painting's survival in the Alte Pinakothek collection highlights its significance within Bavarian art history and the preservation of Renaissance religious art.
Stylistic elements, including naturalistic detail and restrained coloration, reflect the influence of early Netherlandish painting on southern German art, while the work's creation for a private devotional context illustrates the intersection of artistic patronage and religious expression in the period.
History & Provenance
The St. Elizabeth of Hungary panel is the right wing of the St. Sebastian Altar by Hans Holbein the Elder, dated 1516. The work is painted in oil on lime panel and measures 150 cm in height and 47 cm in width.
The panel entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has remained at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since at least the date recorded in the collection’s records. It is identified as part of a triptych titled the Sebastiansaltar, with the central panel depicting Saint Sebastian and the left wing depicting Saint Catherine.
The panel is held in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich, as part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
It is inventoried as the right wing of the St. Sebastian triptych by Hans Holbein the Elder, accessioned under the museum’s holdings for 1516 lime-panel works.
No exhibition history is reported in the sources provided.
Overview
Created in 1516, the panel painting by Hans Holbein the Elder portrays Saint Elizabeth of Hungary in a devotional setting. Executed on a lime wood surface, the work is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s collection and reflects the Northern Renaissance’s interest in detailed narrative and religious subjects.
Technique & Style
Holbein employs precise linear modeling and rich coloration typical of early German Renaissance painting. The fine rendering of textiles, metal objects, and the cityscape background demonstrates his skill in creating realistic textures on a wooden panel, while the gold frame bears an inscription identifying the saint.
Context
Depicting Saint Elizabeth of Hungary aligns with the period’s emphasis on saints who embodied Christian charity. The inclusion of a domestic scene with the saint serving food reflects contemporary devotional practices that encouraged personal identification with the saint’s acts of mercy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Holbein the Elder (c. 1460/65 – 1524) was a German painter of the early German Renaissance. He was the father of painters Ambrosius and Hans the Younger.
