Artwork

Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena

Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena, by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, unspecified
Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena, by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, unspecified

Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena is an unspecified painting by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder. It is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work functions as a devotional image within the Christian tradition, presenting these specific holy figures for veneration.

This religious painting depicts three female saints: Mary Magdalene, Saint Barbara, and Christina of Bolsena. The work functions as a devotional image within the Christian tradition, presenting these specific holy figures for veneration. The inclusion of these saints reflects the theological interests and devotional practices associated with the Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, who specialized in representations of sacred lineages and holy women.

Technique & Style

The Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena is executed in tempera on wood, measuring 100.7 cm in height and 91.6 cm in width. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with Saints Barbara, Christina, and Mary Magdalene, rendered in a restrained, devotional style characteristic of late Gothic religious art.

The figures occupy a shallow spatial field with flattened perspective and delicate linear contours, emphasizing symbolic clarity over naturalism. The work is housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and is attributed to the Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, whose use of tempera on panel reflects the material practices of 15th-century German religious painting.

History & Provenance

The altarpiece was commissioned as a religious work depicting the Holy Kinship, featuring Saint Barbara, Saint Christina, and Saint Mary Magdalene. It was created by the Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder and is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The work measures 100.7 cm in height and 91.6 cm in width.

The painting is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is currently located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The provided sources confirm the work's presence in this institution but do not list a specific inventory or accession number. Furthermore, no information regarding the exhibition history of this specific panel is available in the referenced records.

Legacy

The work's later influence and legacy are rooted in its attribution to the Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, a key figure in the Munich school of the early 16th century. Stylistic analysis of the Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena has informed broader understandings of devotional painting in southern Germany, particularly in relation to the visual representation of female saints within the Holy Kinship motif.

Its compositional treatment of Mary Magdalene, Saint Barbara, and Saint Christina contributed to iconographic discourse in early modern religious art, as reflected in scholarly studies of the period. The painting's inclusion in the Bavarian State Painting Collections' holdings at the Alte Pinakothek has ensured its continued visibility in museum-based research and public interpretation of the era's artistic legacy.

Overview

This panel painting, attributed to the workshop of the Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder, presents a devotional grouping of three female saints. Executed in the late Gothic style, it now belongs to the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

Context

The composition reflects the late 15th‑century German devotion to female saints, often displayed together in altarpieces intended for private chapels or confraternities. The inclusion of Christina, Mary Magdalene and Barbara aligns with contemporary hagiographic interests in virginity, repentance and protection.

Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Bartholomäus, Johannes Ev. und Johannes d. T.
Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Bartholomäus, Johannes Ev. und Johannes d. T., Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder

Artist & collection

Artist

Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder

The Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder was an anonymous German painter active in Cologne in the early fifteenth century, roughly between 1410 and 1440.

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena?

Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena was painted by Master of the Holy Kinship the Elder.

Where can I see Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena?

Beschneidungsaltar: Die hll. Barbara(?), Christina und Maria Magdalena is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.