Artwork

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius, by Master of Eggenburg, oil, 1496
Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius, by Master of Eggenburg, oil, 1496

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of Eggenburg. It dates from 1496 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work portrays the saints Adalbert of Prague and Procopius of Sázava, identified in the catalog as the depicted figures, each shown with traditional attributes such as a crosier. As a religious painting by the Master of Eggenburg dated 1496, the composition functions as a devotional image, emphasizing the sanctity and missionary significance of the two Czech saints within the broader tradition of Central European Christian art. The use of oil paint, spruce panel, and gold leaf underscores the work's liturgical purpose, while its classification as religious art confirms its intended role as an object of veneration rather than a secular subject.

Technique & Style

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius is a religious painting executed in oil paint on a spruce panel, with surfaces enriched by gold leaf.

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius is a religious painting executed in oil paint on a spruce panel, with surfaces enriched by gold leaf. The vertical panel measures 68.9 cm in height by 43.2 cm in width, a format suited to its devotional function. The combination of oil medium, wooden support, and gilded passages points to late medieval Central European workshop practice, in which luminous gold grounds were used to heighten the sacred presence of the holy figures.

The work is classified as a painting rather than a panel of another type, and its handling of oil over a prepared wooden ground with applied gold is consistent with the techniques employed by the Master of Eggenburg in 1496.

History & Provenance

The painting Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius is attributed to the Master of Eggenburg and dated to circa 1496. It entered the collection of Baron von Tinti before passing to William Rosenwald, who later donated it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work was exhibited at the Norton Simon Museum as part of Rosenwald's holdings.

The panel depicts Saints Adalbert of Prague and Procopius of Sázava, executed in oil on spruce with gold leaf, and measures 68.9 cm in height and 43.2 cm in width.

The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Specific inventory details regarding a unique accession number are not provided in the available records, though the work is cataloged within the museum's holdings as a religious panel by the Master of Eggenburg.

Context

The 1496 oil painting by the Master of Eggenburg portrays Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, having entered it via the holdings of Baron von Tinti and later William Rosenwald; it was shown at the Norton Simon Museum. Art historical studies place the Master of Eggenburg within late-15th-century Central European religious art, noting the use of spruce panel, oil paint and gold leaf as characteristic materials. Scholarship emphasizes the work's iconography, linking the depicted saints to Bohemian missionary traditions, and situates it among other panels by the same hand, thereby illustrating the stylistic continuity of the period. Its exhibition record reflects ongoing scholarly and curatorial interest in the painter's contribution to the genre.

Overview

The oil painting "Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius" was created in 1496 by an artist known as the Master of Eggenburg. This religious work depicts two significant Central European saints, Adalbert of Prague and Procopius of Sázava, alongside a kneeling donor figure. The panel is a testament to late 15th-century devotional art and is currently housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Saint John the Baptist and Saint Stephen
Saint John the Baptist and Saint Stephen

Artist & collection

Artist

Master of Eggenburg

Master of Eggenburg is the conventional name given to an anonymous Austrian painter active in the late fifteenth century, roughly between 1475 and 1500, in Lower Austria.

Reviews

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius?

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius was painted by Master of Eggenburg in 1490-01-01.

Where can I see Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius?

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius?

Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius?

Museum-quality prints of Saint Adalbert and Saint Procopius are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.